Deb Neville said she was asleep when she received a call Sunday night from a customer.

Neville, who owns Fiber Odyssey Yarn, said she initially did not understand why the caller was apologizing about a fire.

Then Neville realized what the caller was saying: "Your store is on fire."

Neville said she quickly dressed and drove to her store at 6410 S. Suncoast Blvd. in Homosassa. She found the structure that holds her store and Carol's Interiors and Floors completely engulfed in flames.

According to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, nine units, the tower truck, a squad vehicle and three tankers responded to the fully involved building, which collapsed due to the severity of the fire.

Officials said firefighters had to shut down all lanes of U.S. 19 in order to reach fire hydrants, which were about a quarter-mile away from the fire. Crews set up two collapsible water tanks, similar to above-ground pools, in order to have enough water to fight the flames.

The fire swept across the building quickly, but firefighters were able to keep the large fire from spreading to a warehouse in the back of the structure.

Randi Manderson, whose parents own Carol's Interiors and Floors, said the business was like a second home, and she saw a lot of old photos and valuables go up in flames.

"It was tough," she said. "It was tough to watch, tough to see."



Battalion Chief Tom Bosley described the initial response to the scene as "an awesome effort" and the teamwork between fire rescue and law enforcement as "impeccable."



"Due to the enormity of this fire, which we haven't seen in years, we married two dump tanks together to battle this extreme situation," Bosley continued. "The good news is, the surrounding businesses are safe."

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Fire Marshal are investigating.



In the meantime, Neville said she will try to find a temporary location for a store while focusing on rebuilding.



"It's really sad," said Neville, who hosts special events at her store every Wednesday and had a New Year's Eve event planned. "But, we will rebuild. We will start again."