Fire engulfs The Adkins Company hardware store

BERLIN, Md. – A devastating fire ripped through The Adkins Company hardware store in Berlin overnight.

Many in the community say they’re shocked to learn what happened.

“It’s just very, very sad. I mean something that’s been here so long and poof just like that,” said Sandie Kirkland, a town of Berlin resident.

“It was just a perfect building, I literally just drove past it just the other night. Now, to see it like this, it’s just going to affect Berlin,” said Malachi Goodman, another Berlin resident.

The Adkins Company is a lumber and hardware store that serves Berlin and Ocean City.

Rick Holland, a 4th generation owner of the business, received a call about the fire early this morning.

“I was fast asleep at 2:30 when I got the call from the fire alarm company. I live right around the corner, so I got dressed, headed out here and by 2:38 she was fully engulfed,” said Holland.

Holland thinks the building is a total loss.

However, Holland says no people were inside at the time of the fire.

The warehouse portion of the complex was untouched by the flames, which may have put them out of business if the fire had spread.

“We got very lucky, most of the money is in our warehouse where all the lumber and building materials are kept, so the hardware store isn’t as big a loss that it could have been if the lumber yard had burned down,” said Holland.

Although Holland says the fire was devastating and a cause for sadness, he says it could have been worse and he looks forward to continuing business next week.

“We’re fully insured, we’ve got some cash on the books, we’re not going to be laying anyone off and I’ve got a trailer coming hopefully Monday and we’ll get up and running and start selling stuff again and shipping stuff out,” he said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined as of yet. The Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing to investigate.

The Adkins Company has been at their Berlin location since 1908.