Fire destroys long-time family-owned tailor shop in Capitol Hill neighborhood

DENVER (KDVR) — A fire that tore through a building in the 400 block of East Colfax Avenue destroyed Duman’s Custom Tailor shop.

The owner said the fire appears to have started just inside the back door of the building. From the building’s front sidewalk, the fire’s damage is not immediately noticeable, but look a little closer and the devastation becomes clear.

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“This is devastating. This is just devastating,” said Stephan Duman, the shop’s owner, as he gave FOX31 a look inside the burned-out shop.

“Look at this, (it’s) ruined, there’s no coming back from this,” Duman said as he pointed to the damaged clothing and the shop walls.

Duman said his parents started this business more than 60 years ago. Employees of Duman’s have worked on people’s clothing, uniforms for Broncos cheerleaders, countless weddings and aprons for some of the city’s popular restaurants.

Now, it’s all gone.

“It’s just I — I don’t know what to say, it’s just, it’s so, so difficult to look at it once I open up the back door. It’s just, it’s heartbreaking,” Duman said.

Duman said his parents started the business after surviving the Holocaust. Customers are taking the fire hard too.

“Very hard, very sad. We hope that they can recover,” customer Richard Garcia said.

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A clerk who works next door is just thankful the fire did not spread.

“I still feel sorry for (Duman). He’s a good neighbor. He’s been around for so long,” Benjamin Lamin said.

Duman is now trying to figure out what to do next. The Denver Fire Department told FOX31 Monday that they are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

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