The Boyne City Fire Department responded to CindiFrancoÕs cools tuff gift shop on Christmas Day. Someone driving by the business noticed the fire. There was smoke under the eaves above the front porch. Photo by Vic Ruggles

"She was on her way to a party, and she said she had to have something from CindiFranco's,Ó owner Cindi Malin said.

Malin had no cash register at the time, but the customer said she would go to the bank and get the exact change. So, standing there in the store amid water and soot, the sale was made. Malin laughed as she related the experience. She expects the store will be rebuilt and ready for regular business the first week in February.

The fire broke out about 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 25 in the attic area of the building at 309 S. Lake St. Someone driving by the business noticed it. The Boyne City Fire Department responded and found smoke under the eaves above the front porch.

Firefighters took out ceiling tiles to get to the blaze, fire chief Dennis Amesbury said. No one was in the building at the time, and no one was injured. The department was on the scene for several hours after the fire was out. Amesbury called in the Boyne Falls Fire Department for mutual aid.

The cause of the fire appears to be electrical in nature, and arson is not suspected, Amesbury said. The owners' insurance company is investigating as a matter of procedure. An estimate of lost inventory is yet to be determined.

Cindi and Frank Malin, Cindi's husband and co-owner of the business and building, were downstate visiting relatives when they received word of the fire.

"It was a long drive home,Ó Cindi said.

But the fire department and people from Boyne City and were in touch by cell phone along the way, she said.

"The fire department was incredible,Ó Cindi said. "They called us throughout the fire and asked us where the priorities were (of items) to be saved.Ó

The firefighters covered the items to prevent smoke and water damage and "even swept up afterwards,Ó she said. The store's front counter, a piece of history, was saved. The counter came from the Carnegie Boyne City Public Library when the library was renovated several years ago. It dates to back to 1918, Cindi said.

The community has also reached out to the Malins.

"We're so thankful for the parade of people coming by to say Ôcan we help,' Ó Cindi said. "We are so blessed with so many people helping out. I can't say enough about Boyne. This is why you live in Boyne.Ó The store is now emptied and ready for rebuilding. Dryers are set up for the floors that buckled. The Malins are going through the inventory to determine the items that can be salvaged, sold at a fire sale or saved. Cindi will conduct her business as an interior designer while Frank and she wait to reopen CindiFranco's cool stuff the first week in February.