Chesterfield hairdresser's optimism as she opens up temporary salon in car park following tumble dryer fire

Rowan Adlington, who runs Arkadia Too in Wingerworth, was at home enjoying her day off on Tuesday, July 13 when she received a call from a distressed colleague that smoke was coming out of the roof of the hairdresser’s on Allendale Road.

The blaze which started at around 3.30pm was caused by an electrical fault with a tumble dryer in the salon that was switched off.

Rowan, who also owns vegan cafe Figaro which is next door, turned up at the hairdresser’s five minutes later and praised the Derbyshire fire brigade for arriving in 'record time’ to tackle the blaze before it spread to the Spar and her newly opened eatery.

While the fire could have only been alight for around 10 minutes, the business owner said she was ‘shocked’ by the damage the blaze caused after it melted a water pipe, causing water to spread inside the salon and the ceiling to come down, along with extensive smoke damage.

Arkadia Too will be closed for around three months while it undergoes refurbishment, ruined stock is replaced and the fittings and fixtures are sent away to be cleaned.

Rowan said: "To be honest, I think it was a very small fire but with very big damage.

"I'm just really relieved that it didn't spread because all I was thinking was 'please don't burn the other shops down'.

"Smoke damage caught hold in the kitchen area and it absolutely stinks of burnt plastic, it is horrible so everything is really tainted and it is going to take some shifting to get rid of the smell.

"I am very shocked [about what] it is going to take to re-do the damage but I just have to get on with it and we'll get there."

But instead of shutting up shop, while the salon’s building is repaired, the business owner will hold appointments and trade in a temporary unit located at the back of the property, in the car park.

The unit which is expected to look a bit like a Portakabin is being delivered early next week and will have a small kitchen, access to utilities, along with space for stylists to work on clients albeit in a more limited capacity.

"I do try to always find the bright side, thank goodness nobody was hurt and thank goodness it hasn't impacted on either business either side”, Rowan added.

"The show goes on – as long as I can look after my clients because post pandemic, people have already gone three, four months [without] geting their hair done and I don't want that to happen again.

"People are starting to go out, holidays to look forward to, so there is no way I am going to say 'sorry guys I can't trade for three months'.

"As long as I can keep my clients and meet their hair needs then I am happy and I don't really mind where I do it from.

"Three months will go by and the clients I am sure will be really supportive and they will stand by me.”

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