It’s a Wonderful Life – Never-before-told stories from our team and heroes

AFD Fire Chief Remalley's Story

I remember it was so much water that it was ankle deep and you could see jewelry coming out of the building and flowing down into the storm drain. The firefighters couldn't even grab it. It went by so quick, I remember watching some rings going right down the drain. I wish we could have stopped it, but it happened that quickly.

Steve's Story

When Errol called to tell me what was happening, I rushed down. By the time I got there, the street was filled with smoke and fire trucks. My first instinct was to run inside, but the firemen stopped me.

What I remember most wasn’t the fire itself but what happened after. My phone never stopped ringing. All through the night, people were checking on us. Customers, friends, everyone wanted to make sure we were okay.

One of the first calls I remember came all the way from Italy, where a customer was traveling. He had recently bought an engagement ring from us and had asked if I would keep it safe until he returned. “Safer here than anywhere else,” I told him. When he called that morning, his voice was frantic: “Is my ring OK?” Then, after a pause, he added, “Oh, and by the way… how are you doing?”

Fortunately, thanks to Errol’s quick thinking, all of our customers’ jewelry was safely secured in the fire-proof vault. Everything, including his ring, was fine. Even in the middle of turmoil, that call reminded me what Zachary’s has always been about: the people who care, and the little moments of humor that help you get through anything.

Errol's Story

I was inside the store when the fire broke out. The smoke was getting thick and I just wanted to make sure everything was locked and secured. The firemen finally had to pull me out.

What I remember most is a customer who happened to be there with us when the fire broke out, looking at a diamond for his wife. In the middle of all that chaos, he stayed calm. A little while later, he came back and bought the diamond, a six-carat round brilliant. He didn’t do it for the diamond. He did it to support us. He was one of my favorite people. I miss him and I’ll never forget that gesture. In a time when things felt uncertain, he reminded me what Zachary’s is built on: people who care enough to stand with you when it matters.

Evangeline's Story 

I’ll never forget the fire in 2005. I was pregnant, after trying so hard to get there, and just days before we had already gone through two traumatic events—my dad passing and my sister’s heart attack. In Greek families, we always say things happen in threes, so when I turned the corner and saw the store in flames, I dropped to my knees. As sad as it was, in that moment I knew the third loss wasn’t my baby. And even in all that heartbreak, I felt this deep sense of gratitude.

Doug's Story

I was home when my sister called and said, “Zachary’s is on fire!” I jumped in my car and when I arrived, the street was closed, the building was in flames, and everyone was huddled across the street. That night, we decided to do everything we could to reopen.

The next morning, chaos turned into a scavenger hunt. A coworker and I snuck in through a hole in the wall to grab the hard drive and a few essentials, carefully tiptoeing around the collapsed floor. We left behind those overplayed CDs and giant ceramic swans, because who really needed them anyway? On our way out, the fire marshal caught us and gave us a good-natured tonguelashing. Lesson learned!

What struck me most was Steve's determination. Deeply connected to the community, it was incredible to watch people rally around him. That night showed me the strength of our team, the power of our community, and ultimately brought me back to Zachary’s full time. I’ll never forget it.

Erica's Story

It was Black Friday and we were open late when a guy ran in asking if we had a fire extinguisher. There was a fire in the wall next to the store. We didn’t realize how serious it was, so Errol kept telling us, “break it down, break it down,” meaning get all the jewelry into the vault. Then a firefighter came in—he was all suited up in his gear and to petite me, he looked like a giant—and told us we had to evacuate. He warned, “If you don’t leave the store, I’ll throw you over my shoulder.” It was freezing, the hoses were everywhere, and when we finally stepped across the street, the building looked like a movie inferno.