PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — A fire that ravaged a motel in Petersburg in late April and left 29 families without a home is still considered a problem by many who still live and work there.
One of the buildings of the American Inn Motel was left severely damaged and in need of costly repairs after the flames were finally put out and the damage surveyed.
Although it’s been four months since flames nearly leveled the motel on County Drive, the fire left its mark with a number of other problems.
Motel owner Sunny Anand said business there has almost ceased, in addition to the lack of foot traffic, insurance woes make Anand feel unsure of when he will be back at full operating speed.
“I don’t know who to blame, what to blame,” Anand said.
He says that business at the motel hasn’t been the same since the April 23 fire nearly destroyed one of the buildings and left dozens of people displaced.
READ MORE: ‘We’re still here’: Residents and staff from Petersburg motel fire tell 8News
Only a handful of families are still living on the property, others moved on to other places out of fear.