TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma consignment shop that's been a staple in the community for years is now closed after a fire tore through early Wednesday.
Blooming Kids sits off of 27th Street and it's become a place that's more than a store for many in the community, especially young moms.
“It’s a special place, we sell children’s things, but people come for more than that people come to find their community," said Amy Natali, owner of Blooming Kids. "It's women-owned, women-ran -- lots of strong females."
Natali, once just a customer herself, is the third woman in fifteen years to own this store.
“It was a big risk but it was working for us,” she said.
She has fought to keep the store alive and that's why seeing it destroyed hurt so badly.
Word quickly spread Wednesday that a fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. and destroyed the store. A passerby called 911 to report the fire. No one was inside at the time and the cause remains under investigation, according to fire officials.
Natali is a mother to three school-aged children. Last year, she left a teaching job to run the consignment store full time. The store's future is unclear now, but Natali's loyal customers are hopeful.
“She just builds communities, so if she’s not in a consignment shop it will be in some other fashion because that’s what Amy does,” said Carrie Woods, a store regular and now a good friend to Natali.
Natali said Blooming Kids won't open back up anytime soon, but she hopes to continue the store's legacy of helping women, even if the "how" is uncertain right now.