Birmingham business owner speaks after fire severely damages building

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Business owners affected by Friday’s devastating fire in downtown Birmingham are speaking out after several buildings were severely damage.

The fire, which began early in the morning on Halloween, severely damaged three buildings, according to the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service. One of those buildings was where Savannah Hrbek owns a salon named "Blush," but her connection to the building is much deeper than that.

“I grew up in these buildings. My family lived upstairs for 40 years,” Hrbek said. “They owned a restaurant when I was a kid — The Back Alley. I kind of grew up there. I spent my 20s at the Blue Monkey, Cobb Lane, and Jay Clyde.”

Hrbek said the early morning fire destroyed everything inside her salon. She’s unsure what the next steps will be.

“It