AS Kim Treyvaud choked back the tears, a determination to rebuild her family business powers through.
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On Tuesday night the Jervis Bay Stock Feeds' main building was destroyed in a fire.
"I just feel like part of my heart is inside that shop and I want to go and sweep it up and glue it back together," Kim said to describe how she is feeling.
Investigations into the cause of the fire to this well-known Falls Creek businesses continue, but trade went ahead today [Wednesday] the morning after Tuesday night's fire.
"I am gutted," Kim said as she stood near the burnt building on the Old Princes highway.
"This is our family business and we run it and we used to live inside the shop with our kids when they were eight-years-old.
"We took it over 10 years ago and we have built it up. We are here for the community and the community is here for us."
I just feel like part of my heart is inside that shop and I want to go and sweep it up and glue it back together.
- Kim Treyvaud
The store did a lot more than just supply people with food for their animals.
"It's a hub where people could go, have a chat and meet up," Kim said.
"I have a lot of elderly customers and sometimes the only contact they get is to come to me and get one kilo of chicken necks for their little dogs and they would stand there and chat to me for 10 minutes. I am going to miss that - I live for my customers."
She was getting messages of support at 2am this morning
"Everyone has been so good," Kim said.
"Please keep the positivity coming. We will rebuild it - we will get there.
"I don't know what the future brings but I have a really good network of people. I got over 200 messages that I have received - everybody is praying for us and hoping we can rebuild it."
Kim was again stressed they would not be letting their customers down.
The store did a lot more than just supply people with food for their animals. It's a hub where people could go, have a chat and meet up.
- Kim Treyvaud
"We still have two sheds that are intact. We have lost the shop but hopefully, we can get everybody's orders to them this week. "I do have it [all the order's details] up here in my head," she said.
"They [the locals] need us - without us they cannot feed their animals and it [the store] is a network of information as well."
People would often come down for a chat and get advice on how to care for their animals - both large and small.
"It's not a normal shop - it's an old-school produce store," she said.
The store in the past was also a petrol station but its main focus, over 10 years ago, became the stook feed area.
The store has survived floods, bushfires and being in the path of the mooted Jervis Bay intersection flyover - so no doubt it will rise again.
Kim found out about the fire from the store's neighbours across the road.
People would often come down for a chat and get advice on how to care for their animals - both large and small. It's not a normal shop - it's an old-school produce store.
- Kim Treyvaud
"I could not breathe and I felt sick. My legs were numb - it was just a horrifying experience. It's something you would not wish upon anybody," was the way Kim felt when she arrived at the scene.
The store is a family affair with Kim's husband Darren, sons Jake and Ryley all part of the shop's community.
"I wanted my grandkids to serve in this shop. This is our future and I wanted this to be for our kids and our grandkids," Kim said.
"It's just not fair, but at least nobody was hurt and the animals [cats] are safe."
Kim would like to thank the emergency service teams.
"The firefighters were so good - I thank them and they were really good," she said.
She used to walk up each morning and look forward to going to work.
The store does have some insurance and lost items like dog food, poultry medication, tick and worming treatments and more.
The store is famous for its various mixes - like its scratch mix for chickens.
Until it's safe to do so they cannot go inside the remains of the shop.
NSW Police and NSW Rural Fire Service are investigating the cause of the fire.
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