Frager’s the morning after a fire. Photo courtesy International Association of Fire Fighters Local 36.

The extent of the damage to Frager’s Hardware on Capitol Hill became apparent this morning, after a four-alarm fire ripped through the historic hardware store Wednesday evening.

While the now-blackened brick façade still stood and the garden seemed unscathed, the interior of the 93-year-old store was gutted, its windows blown out.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There’s also no official word on where the fire started, as no one has been able to go into the building yet, Fire and EMS spokesman Tim Wilson said. Frager’s owner John Weintraub told Washington City Paper a customer reported seeing smoke in the store’s lumber area on 11th Street SE

Of the 200 firefighters called to the scene to fight the blaze, three sustained minor injuries and have since been released from the hospital, Wilson said.

In a message posted to its website, Frager’s announced that all its employees who were on duty when the blaze erupted made safely it out of the store.

“We will get together tomorrow and figure out how to proceed after this terrible fire, but we want to thank you for all your emails, web submissions, and above all, the hugs from so many who we met after the fire,” the message read. “Please stay with us while we sort this out, and thanks!”

Friends of the neighborhood store are raising funds for costs not covered by insurance.

Other businesses in the area are pitching in too. Employees of Frager’s looking for temporary work have been encouraged to come by Matchbox on Capitol Hill today by the restaurant group’s vice president of operations, Fred Hermann. Former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendleson is also offering to find displaced employees work at one of his restaurants.

While the old Frager’s looks to be a total loss, Weintraub told Capital Community News he plans to reopen the store. Weintraub said the store was insured and he’ll be able to pay the store’s approximately 60 employees.

Anyone with an open invoice is being asked to send money to payments to 409 Fourth Street SE.

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