Vinton Town Manager provides update on rebuilding efforts after devastating fire

Last summer’s devastating fire in downtown Vinton, which engulfed a two-story music building and collapsed the roof of the Edward Jones Investment business, has forever changed the lives of those directly impacted. Despite the challenges faced, the community has been working diligently to rebuild and access the damage, according to Vinton Town Manager Richard Peters.

While eight months may seem like an eternity to some, the owners, engineers, contractors, and other professionals involved behind the scenes have been working feverishly to move forward with a resolution and positive outcome as quickly as possible, Peters said. The Town has been helping the owners where possible by providing resources for relocation, design services for a future rebuild, and debris disposal services.

However, the fire dramatically affected several small business owners and operators in the area, and the incident has left its mark. Four additional buildings were determined to be a total loss and must be torn down, bringing the number of structures to be torn down to as many as seven now.

Despite this, Peters expressed his gratitude to the heroic efforts of the fire department, which quickly contained the fire from spreading to adjacent structures and throughout the greater downtown.

For safety reasons, officials decided in December to close an additional lane on East Lee Avenue. The Town hopes to fully reopen the roadway once demolition efforts are completed. Although Peters said he couldn’t provide an exact date for the completion, he noted significant progress within the last two months.

“On behalf of the Town Council and the affected property owners, I want to thank Vinton’s residents, adjacent downtown business owners, and visitors for your continued prayers and patience through the remaining stages of this endeavor. My staff and I will continue to update this message as additional timelines or information becomes available,” Peters said.