DES MOINES, Iowa — The death of the department store — it's something that's been seen nationwide. But ten years ago today, an iconic one in Des Moines wasn't done in by lack of business or bankruptcy, but a massive fire.
The iconic Younkers department store in downtown Des Moines burned down in a blaze on March 29, 2014.
Mike Flaherty, a Des Moines fire fighter who responded that day, remembers just how intense the flames were.
"You could see the top two floors burning and it was like, holy cow, we’re gonna be here awhile," he told Local 5.
In a split second, an iconic piece of Des Moines' history was turned into an inferno.
“We could see that high volume of smoke, and we knew that it was an extremely bad fire just coming, just leaving the station," Capt. Greg Bastian told Local 5.
Flaherty and Bastian were some of the first on the scene — the start of a long night's work.
"I just remember being in that bucket for a long time until it started getting a little bit lighter out," Bastian said. "So the sun was starting to come up.”
The former Younkers site has evolved in the decade since, with parts of Walnut Street now housing apartments, EMC Insurance offices and a public park.
But memories of what once was are still fresh for Des Moines natives.
“I remember coming down and, and going to Younkers Tea Room with my folks and coming to the Younkers department store, that kind of thing," Flaherty said.
“My mother, my sister, you know, friends and relatives were always coming down here for something — shopping or the Tea Room or whatever," Bastion added. "So it was an icon. And to lose it was devastating for everybody."