Middleburg’s independent book shop, Middleburg Books, has been forced to temporarily close after a small fire on Monday, January 19. According to a post on the shop’s Instagram, it will be closed for “several weeks.”
The post said that a small fire broke out near the cash register. A customer grabbed a fire extinguisher and put the fire out; no one was injured.
However, the smoke and fire extinguisher residue caused “more damage than we initially hoped,” according to the post. The store will be working with their insurance company and with a team of professionals to clean up the space.
The store says it is grateful for the outpouring of community support that it has received. “We’ve been absolutely floored (in the best way) by the love you’ve wrapped around us,” another post from Middleburg Books said. “Your messages, notes, and good vibes have been staggering, humbling, and deeply comforting. It means the world to know that our Middleburg Books community stretches far beyond our four walls.”
For those who want to help, the bookshop points to several ways to support them during the closure. Those include becoming a Friend of Middleburg Books, preordering merchandise, shopping for books and audiobooks through bookshop.org or libro.fm, and buying gift cards for future purchases.
Feature image by Bennett Freeze
