Crews Battle Fire At Fort Worth Party Supply Store

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Firefighters battled a blaze at a Fort Worth party supply store on Wednesday morning. The incident began just before 5:30 a.m. at Jugueteria Nili, located in the 4100 block of Hemphill Street, near La Gran Plaza and just north of the intersection with Seminary Drive.

Flames were shooting through the roof of the business when emergency crews first arrived at the scene. The fire destroyed the business, but firefighters were able to save the attached auto shop next door. It received only minor smoke damage. The fire has since been contained, but not before the party supply store's roof collapsed.

That roof collapse made it even more difficult for firefighters to spray water on the flames.

Crews placed red tape on the ground in front of the store as the fire was still burning. There was fear that the store's front wall would also collapse, and the tape was used as a safety marker to ensure that nobody was hurt. Indeed, there were no injuries reported throughout this incident.

It is likely that almost everything inside of the business was burned. As a party supply store, the building included hundreds of piñatas and numerous other paper products like plates, napkins, tablecloths, streamers and other decorations. There has been no word about what may have caused the fire.

Meanwhile, the Zapata family is heartbroken. Jugueteria Nili was their family business, and they have been working for years to make it a success. The business is insured, but the loss after so much hard work is devastating for the family. "Our lives and love is kind of gone," said Evelio Zapata, the store owner's son. "Yesterday was our six-year anniversary, and that just saddens me the most, because we passed that five-year break, you know, where most businesses go down. And, unfortunately, this was our biggest year. Already this year, we've seen a huge improvement in sales."

Authorities blocked off roads in the area while they were at the scene, starting just before the Wednesday morning rush hour and lasting into the afternoon. Check the traffic map for the latest updates on road conditions.