Fire destroys Homosassa family-owned business

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Twisted metal and charred remains are all that's left of Great Floors!, a family-owned business serving Homosassa for 28 years.

A massive fire ripped through the 13,000 square foot building Sunday night, destroying the front portion of the business and threatening neighboring storefronts on either side. Nine firefighting units and three tankers were needed to snuff the flames out.

The front part of the store was a knitting business. To Chris Kneip, it felt more like a second home.

"It was warm and friendly. A met a lot of people here. We'd sit and knit on whatever we were working on and talk about what was going on in our lives," she said Monday.

Other portions of the building stored tile and flooring and included storage units. Firefighters worked tirelessly through the night to save precious mementos from the raging flames. Some of them were left unscathed. But for the business owners, the building that housed their livelihood for decades is a total loss.

"We're all local here. Everyone knows everyone in this area. When somebody lost something it's like you lost something because it's part of your community," Joseph Kostansek said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.