WYANDOT COUNTY, Ohio — Every day, Garry Pasco would spend countless hours working in his butcher shop in Wyandot County, Pasco Custom Processing, selling beef, hogs, deer, lamb and smoked meats.
It's a business he said started with his father out of a truck.
"Dad started in the 1980s give or take, built the building, then I've been running about 17 years," Pasco said.
But this past week, those hours have now been spent salvaging what is left of the shop as more than 40 years worth of work is gone.
"You watch your whole life's work go up in smoke," Pasco said.
A fire broke out Sunday, burning the place down and leaving nothing but burnt metal.
"Neighbor called me, said there was smoke coming out of it. I was at home and by the time I got here it was engulfed. I couldn't even think about going in," Pasco said. "I lost power so I can't test anything. And the equipment, the cords are burned off, so I have to fix the cords to even know if it's worth doing clean up."
He said he doesn't know what started the fire, but suspects a wall heater in one of the rooms.
"It burned so hot for being a metal building that it melted the steel light beams," Pasco said. "I don't understand how it burned so hot."
Although no one was physically hurt in the wreckage, Pasco said this will hurt his family financially.
"It's an income for the whole family, that's the main thing. Just keeps the bills paid, keeps the lights on," Pasco said.
He said they're going to try and rebuild, but with the cost of cleanup and missing out on deer hunting season, things are going to be a challenge.
"Yeah, there's nothing cheap happening right now," Pasco said.
Pasco's daughter has set up a fundraiser to help rebuild the shop. It has raised about $200 over the last week.
