Oct. 17--A 53-year-old family business went up in flames early Friday morning when the main shop and storage building at Furr's Building Materials was burned to the ground.

The Mineral Wells Fire Department and the Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department, as well as volunteers from Cool-Garner, Adell-Whitt, Millsap, Graford and Palo Pinto, responded to the fire in the 3500 block of U.S. Highway 281 North about 5 a.m. Friday. Weatherford College also sent a transport tanker equipped for firefighting to help.

Though lumber outside and other outbuildings survived, the main building which housed the store, a warehouse and several small offices was destroyed.

Volunteers with tankers were requested because there was no city water supply near the facility, Mineral Wells Volunteer Fire Department Steve Perdue said.

The family was unable to provide an estimate of the loss from the fire until an insurance representative arrived.

"It's sad to see a lot of history gone," said Juanita Furr, the wife of the now deceased Billy Furr, who started the business in 1956.

Juanita Furr, the owner of the property, sat in a car for several hours at the scene watching firefighters and police work and talking with other family members gathered.

Her son, Kenny, is a part owner and has managed the business, which employs 11 people, for the past 17 years.

"This was a real shock," said Beverly Furr James. "A lot of contractors work out of here. My husband buys a lot of carpet and vinyl."

Firefighters were still at the scene Friday afternoon waiting for the remnants of the building to cool.

The cause is still under investigation, according to Perdue.

Brenda Furr, wife of Kenny, said the building was built in the 1960s and contained hardware, paint, carpet and vinyl. Most of the lumber was stored outside.

Around 10:30 a.m., small explosions could still be heard from the collapsed structure, likely paint cans popping from the heat.

James said her father and three brothers worked at the business over the past 50 years.

"So many young people worked here as a first job," Juanita Furr remembered. "We've never had a real bad fire here before."

No fire hydrant Family members discussed the lack of a city water supply in the area to help fight the fire.

According to information from the city, the area around Furr Building Materials was annexed by the city in the late 1980s, perhaps in 1986.

City staff confirmed the area near the business has no fire protection.

The closest fire hydrant is about a half mile south at Shady Oak Circle.