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Large Christmas ornaments hang from the store’s wooden beams above a pile of ashes, a demolished barbecue grill and the remnants of the front window of the Hassett Ace Hardware store in Redwood City’s Woodside Plaza.
The store has been frozen in time since 5:10 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — the day a car drove through the window and burst into flames. Christmas decorations are still displayed on a toppled-over shelf, an inflatable Santa decoration droops in the garden center, Christmas lights are tangled in the rubble and the smell of smoke lingers in the air.
The vehicle’s path is clearly visible from the skid marks on the vinyl floor.
The December accident happened when a driver mistook the gas pedal for the brake and blew through the front window of the store. Her vehicle missed an Ace Hardware staff member by just a few feet, impacting the exact spot where the staffer’s wife and daughter had been standing just seconds earlier, said co-owner Eric Hassett.
Hassett was at home making dinner for his kids when he received a call about the car fire. He drove to the store and quickly prepared for next steps.
“Hardware stores are about disaster, right? We’re there when there’s earthquakes, floods, and we sell the supplies,” said Hassett. “So I immediately started making calls, because I knew what was coming next.”
As firefighters tended to the scene, Hassett asked the security camera company to download the video footage, contacted his landlord and called all of his employees.
Co-owner Eric Hassett stands for a portrait at Hassett Ace Hardware in Redwood City on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
A broken concrete bollard and other debris from a Dec. 15, 2025 car crash and fire at Hassett Ace Hardware in Redwood City on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
Damage from a Dec. 15, 2025 car crash and fire at Hassett Ace Hardware in Redwood City on Jan. 21, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray.
Eric Hassett and his brother Richard are third-generation owners of their family’s Ace Hardware branch. They own a total of six locations across the Peninsula, including ones in Pacifica, Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, Belmont and San Mateo. This is the first time something like this has happened, Eric said.
Now, a month after the accident, the exterior of the store is boarded up and a “temporarily closed” banner hangs next to the store’s sign. Posters display photos of the accident and plans for reopening.
Fire sprinklers caused the biggest damage, covering the floor with a half-inch of water that seeped through to the subfloor. Hassett said neighboring shops, including Breakers Cafe and Helen’s One Hour Cleaners, were also impacted by water and smoke damage.
Although it doesn’t look too bad at first glance, Hassett said the store’s entire inventory will be removed and sold to a salvage company. The fixtures will also be sold, broken down or recycled. The entire floor needs to be pulled out and the exposed wooden beams on the ceiling must be treated for the smoke.
The car jumped the sidewalk and overtook a concrete bollard outside, likely creating sparks, Hassett speculated. The lighters and empty propane tanks displayed at the front of the store likely added fuel to the fire, he added.
Hassett said he is glad that nobody got hurt. From watching the security footage, he saw how quickly his employees sprang into action, guiding customers out of the store and retrieving fire extinguishers to fight the flames.
“At the end of the day, these are all just things. We’ll rebuild it and be just as good, if not better, than it was before,” said Hassett.
Customers remain curious about the reopening of the 12-year-old store. As Hassett stood in front of the store’s doorway, a Woodside Plaza customer asked him when he was planning on reopening. He optimistically said May.
“We will be back better than ever,” Hassett said with a smile.
The store is estimated to open sometime in late spring or early summer but to remain active in the community, Hassett said he plans to hand out popcorn on the weekends once the weather starts to warm up. Offering free popcorn is a longstanding tradition at Hassett Ace Hardware stores.
“My biggest fear is six months, or five months, whatever it ends up being, that’s a long time for consumer shopping habits to change, and so I want to make sure that we’re still on people’s mind and relevant, so we’re not starting from scratch with the new store again,” said Hassett.
On social media, customers have been supportive. Hassett said that regular Redwood City customers have started shopping at the other Hassett Ace Hardware locations to help bolster the family business.
“We’re making a positive impact, and people really enjoy what we do here and that’s all kudos to my team,” he said. “My grandfather started this business with the concept of serving his community and taking care of his little local neighborhood.”
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