Tragic, at least no one was hurt.

Grew up in Tucker. A big piece of history gone.

A community mainstay. That place that sold everything. The people who knew how to do just about anything. I hope you rebuild. I have lived in Tucker for over 20 years. I don't like the "too big to find anything" contractor warehouses. Please rebuild. If you rebuild it, we will come. Peace & hope to you.

I agree with LDMaxwell. Good old fashioned common sense is what this place is all about. Kindness, great employees who care - a great loss - I hope they rebuild and soon. We need more businesses like this in Tucker (and the world).

It's definitely a loss! Not only to the community, but to the family! Let's have some compassion, please!!

I am the wife of one of the owners. I want to thank those of you for the support that you have posted. I will pass this on to him. His whole life has been this store and I know he is not ready to retire as of yet so hopefully he will be able to rebuild and soon. Please keep us in your prayers during this time. God will give him strength.

I also grew up in Tucker (since 1957) and am shocked at a couple of the previous comments, especially from one of the "family names" that has been around as long as I can remember. I agree with Tricia, if you can't have compassion for someone losing everything they have worked for then, to be quite blunt, keep you mouth shut. To the Smiths: so very sorry to hear of this loss both to the family and the community. Even though some things in the store were irreplaceable, hopefully you will be able to rebuild and overcome this tragic event.

I too am from a prominet Tucker family. The Cofer's. They are my mothers family. I have lived in Tucker most of my life. I live behind the hardware store and experienced this tragedy firsthand and felt as if my memories were being destroyed. I pray for the Smith family. We have lost a great business and community support. I am aware of the changes in our community but we have to stick together. Embrace change and basically take care of each other. There are people in front of the store this morning crying and hugging. These were not employees but customers. That is what Tucker is about. I look forward to the day when the store is reopened and I can go back in and buy something. Peace. If you cannot bring peace to our community then, get out.

You have to be a Dimwit (pun intended) to think that the loss of a long time family institution in Tucker that offered a huge inventory of "hard to find" hardware and the incredible knowledge of the long time staff is an inprovement.

I hope they rebuild.

I saw this on the news last night and was just totally devastated. They were a great store with the most helpful people. If I was looking for something that no one had anymore, I could go there and find six of them! They had everything. I was really amazed that they were able to move all of that stuff from the old store to the new store. What an undertaking that was. I sure hope they are able to rebuild the store somehow somewhere. That inventory is going to be irreplaceable but the people are still here. If they need some help, I hope they will let folks know.

I woke up this morning and had a few seconds of relief because I thought that I had a terrible dream....this is a huge loss, Handy Hardware is one of the best stores around by far. I'm in there weekly and depend on the helpful staff and availability of hard to find items and everything else. If you don't think this is a tremendous loss than you are an idiot or you never had to repair anything. If there is anything we can do for you please let us know, this community will help. Please rebuild we need this store, we will support you.

I've only been here 7 years, but adore this store! They know how to fix everything, and always have just the part too. I fixed my fridge with a $3 part they recommended instead of paying $100for a pricer idea....And that's one of many great experienes.... Everyone who works this is awesome! So very very sad too see these pictures. I do hope you rebuild.

This is a terrible loss. The employees were/are genuinely friendly people, who seemed happy to help me, and to work in a place where they had the resources to do so. The store carried parts and accessories for items that are needed specifically for the homes built in our area. Handy Hardware had replacements for broken, difficult to find gadgets (especially kitchen gadgets). These people and the store helped me fix and maintain my home, appliances and other items; without their help, I'd have thrown out many things that simply needed a new lightbulb or gasket. I will miss them terribly, and I hope they will rebuild the store, and also be able to recall the employees somehow at that time.

Handy Hardware is an important part of our changing community. Living, vital communities change, or else they stagnate, and that's just how things work. It's up to us, the residents - and no one else - to make the changes positive. It's also up to us to decide what not to change, and I hope Handy Hardware can be rebuilt and continue to be an important resource for Tucker.

I live on the street next to the ace hardware store and didn't hear any explosions, but if Dekalb fire was so concerned about the dangerous accelerants inside the store, then why didn't they evacuate homes that are close by? There are several homes surrounding this hardware store. As my spouse tried to leave the neighborhood last night a police officer even tried to stop him! Way to go Dekalb fire, thanks for putting the best interest of the communities safety first! NOT! And a defective fire hydrant? I may be moving fairly soon away from dekalb

Thanks to all of you for posting these great photographs. Patch always welcomes input from readers! I'm working on a follow-up article that should be ready for tomorrow morning.

I believe the great tragedy here is the realization that ignorant people like old Whitaker remain in wonderfully progressive communities like this, tainting the environment for the rest of us who love what Tucker has tried to become over the last several years. One cannot honestly expect that anyone of his selfish ilk would be compassionate toward anything, much less the loss of a great community business.

So sorry to hear Kim. You all are in our thoughts and prayers from Austin, Tx.

When I saw the building on fire last night, I thought it was the abandoned black building near there, but I was wrong. I live extremely close to Tucker and enjoy the small town feel that is just a stones through away from Atlanta.

I don't know any other place in the Tucker area where I can get my screens redone, or custom cut panes of glass, or a staff that is as friendly and helpful as the ones at Handy Hardware. I was at a big box store today and one of the employees couldn't even tell me where something was.

Handy Hardware, if you build it, we will come.

Joe we love ya and hope you and your family the best through these time as if it's not hard enough these days to loose a gold mine of irreplaceable items that followed you from the well known Smith Hardware you created on East Collage. Thanks for the 50 years of havIng the hard to find and the saying if I don't have I'll get and you and your staff have always been the very best at customer satisfacaction and service. Our family sends their prayers and Thanks for being their for all our needs!

Tucker will never be the same. The store may be replaced but what was lost can never be re-created. As we used to say when I was in the Navy, "Oh shucks".

I feel as though a member of my family has lost their home. As a customer of 20 plus years, I knew everyone by first name as they knew mine. My thoughts and prayers first go out to the Smith family and equally to the employees who worked there. I do not live in the Tucker community as some have expressed here.However, it is my hope and prayer that Handy Hardware will rebuild and I as one would gladly donate my time to help in any way possible to make this happen, as I'm sure many who regularly shopped there would do as well. I too grieve for this great historic business that is comparable to no other.Again, my prayers to the Handy Hardware family.

This video captured the front of the store exploding. Fast Forward to about 3:15. Doesn't really even do it justice if you had been there to see it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbMHmQ04yr8

I worked for the Smith's at handy hardware back in late nineties and I hate to hear about the loss! The Smith's are good people!

I am a hardware store junkie and this hardware store was the best! When we were fixing up stuff at my Mom's house this was the only place we could find stuff that worked. We are Tucker born and bred and we will truly miss this store. My sympathies to the family and all that worked here. I am so glad that no one was hurt.

We say of the Handy Ace Hardware in Dacula (owned by Matthew Smith): If they don't have it, you don't need it. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Smith family and their employees.

We are so sorry about the destruction and loss of your business and building due to fire. The Smith family has invested many years of time, money, and hard work into it and I cant imagine the loss all of you must feel.

Your store was a destination for many including myself. I was in your store early December looking for an odd faucet valve. A major plumbing supply house didn’t have one like it but recommended “Handy Ace hardware in Tucker”. You certainly have an unmatched business reputation and brand.

Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with the Smith Family and your employees.

Earl Mitchell

I was glad to hear that the store was closed when the fire started. Growing up in Tucker for last 40 years, Handy Hardware and Matthews Cafe are two of the businesses I have supported for many years. Home Depot and Lowes may be bigger but Handy Hardware was the place to go for anything under the sun. The Smith men have been friends for years and I plan on being there for the grand reopening. Take Care, my friends.
Kevin

who is old man Whitaker?