‘It’s all I’ve ever known’: Abilene tire shop burns down after 40 years of business

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – After a fire engulfed a long-time local store in Abilene, Terry’s Tire Shop has been deemed a total loss. The fire destroyed the building, the business, and took the lives of their dogs, but the family still holds onto hope for the future.

Susan Steele is the daughter of the owner and the shop’s secretary. She said she is grateful for the community response during their time of loss.

“When I was a little girl, I would go play in the shop. My kids growing up, they would come up here and play. It’s just been a second home to us. That’s all we’ve ever known. It’s all I’ve ever known,” Steele said. “We just appreciate everybody. Reaching out to us and want to help and donate their time and just. The thoughts and the prayers. It means a lot to us.”

Terry’s Tire Shop opened in 1982 as the first locally owned used tire shop in Abilene. Steele said her dad got the inspiration for the shop from his father.

“My grandpa used to wheel and do a lot. So my dad just kind of picked it up and thought it was something that he could do and wanted to provide for the family,” Steele said. 

But on June 28, a call came in that she wouldn’t believe. Soot-covered walls, frayed tires, and holes in the ceiling were all that was left after the flames were out.

“Everything is gone. We lost our animals. We lost everything, all our inventory,” Steele said.

The only thing surviving the flames was a porcelain cross, which Steele said stood as her beacon of hope for the future. 

“It was white, but it did turn colors a little bit, other than that. So the only thing that survived,  the only thing that was salvageable, was this cross,” Steele explained. “[To me, it means] that no matter how big the tragedy. No matter how devastating it is, there’s hope for the future.”

The community has established a fundraiser to support the family following the loss. The cause of the fire is still unknown.