The fire caused thousands of dollars of damage, leaving only a trail of scorched washing machines, dryers and clumps of insulation from the walls and roof.
A neighbouring business called emergency services to the scene, where firefighters were able to control the fire, but only after it caused extensive damage.
That day, Aloop Joy had left work to pick up his kids from school.
He came back to find his laundrette destroyed.
Though Valley Laundrette has existed in Shepparton for over 20 years, Mr Joy was only coming up to 18 months since purchasing the business.
Now, he’s looking at a huge repair bill.
“I’m still trying to pay my bank loan, and we have four staff working here,” Mr Joy said.
“I’m still struggling.
“Insurance is saying they will not offer me the full amount to fix this.”
The gutted inside of the building highlights the dire situation of the business.
Insulation straw lies strewn on the ground, surrounded by gaping holes in the walls and roof.
Melted patches of black burn marks are plastered across washing machines and dryers, signs of the irreversible damage.
The scent of smoke lingers throughout, and streaked marks from the fire line the store’s front window.
On hold: Mr Joy has to wait for his insurance company to come back to him before he can start the clean-up.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
“To run our own laundromat in here, we need to replace all the machines and fix the roof,” Mr Joy said.
“Electrics will need to be fixed by electricians, plumbing, gas — everything needs to be replaced.”
Mr Joy isn’t able to clean up the place until he’s had confirmation from the insurance company, so for the time being, the laundrette must sit in a state of disrepair.
Mr Joy is still able to continue his business, thanks to another laundromat, but it’s nowhere near the capacity he was taking beforehand.
“I have a contract with another laundromat, and my staff is going to pick up everything — we’re still doing that, but not too much,” he said.
“We have a lot of good customers here and a good relationship with my customers.
“We just don’t want to start from zero.”
Mr Joy is hoping he can open the doors again soon and thanks the community and his customers for being so understanding during this time.
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