PORTLAND, Oregon — A local artist is rebuilding his glass-blowing business after a fire destroyed his Oregon City studio.

Gary Bodker said the fire happened Oct. 22 and was ignited by a lithium battery.

"I was like, well, that's it, it's over," Bodker said of his business, Gary Bodker Designs .

He started the company in 2014 and specializes in hand-blown glassware and décor.

Bodker said his business had peaked when the team moved into the studio last summer, but they were only there for two months before the fire destroyed it. He said the timing couldn't have been worse.

"I do wholesale, so all the stores want their [holiday] stuff from Oct. 21 to Nov. 15," Bodker said. "And the shop burns down Oct. 22."

Despite the initial devastation, Bodker is renting studio space and slowly reb

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