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GoFundMe started for Victoria nail salon that was gutted by Thursday fire

The fire caused around $255,000 in estimated damages and is deemed suspicious
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A GoFundMe campaign has been started for a family-run nail salon after it was gutted by a Thursday-morning fire that caused around $255,000 in damages.

The GoFundMe page calls KH Silver Nails a “beloved” business where the “incredibly generous and kind” owners treat customers like family.

The Victoria salon is well-known for its hospitality amongst its clientele, with reviews raving not only about the service but also offerings of noodles, candy and birthday cake.

But all of that was brought to a screeching halt on April 29. Initial calls came into the Victoria Fire Department shortly before 2 a.m. and reported visible fire at the rear of the building and the sounds of banging and screaming. Fire crews arrived at the 783 Fort St. location to find heavy smoke inside the building as well as in neighbouring businesses.

Crews determined no one was in the business and the banging and screaming had come from someone at the rear of the building trying to alert anyone who may have been inside. They extinguished the fire, but the department’s initial incident report noted fire damage to the rear of the building as well as smoke and water damage were extensive throughout the building.

READ: Fire that tore through Fort Street nail salon deemed suspicious

Nobody was injured in the fire, but investigators from the Victoria fire and police departments have deemed it suspicious.

“In light of the recent rise in anti-Asian violence and hate, it is so important that we come together as a community in solidarity with folks who are experiencing this type of targeting,” wrote Amy Baylis, a client of the nail salon who started the GoFundMe page.

The GoFundMe had raised just over $2,000 by Saturday and can be found at https://bit.ly/3xFbaiU.

The nail salon posted several photos showing the extent of the fire damage on its Facebook page. They also posted security camera footage showing the initial moments of the flames breaching the business.

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