Burnt orange — despite fire, Orange World plans to renovate and re-open

News of a fire at Orange World Tuesday night brought sadness to many longtime Kissimmee and Osceola County residents.

Orange World is a shop selling citrus, gifts and other local tourism-inspired trinkets on West U.S. Highway 192 between Polynesian Isle and Seralago Boulevards. But, it's iconically known to residents — and frequent visitors — as "The Big Orange." Built in the 1980s, it's billed as the only building of its kind — at 92 by 60 feet, it's "the biggest orange in the country."

The fire broke out around 6 p.m. Tuesday, as some two dozen firefighters descended on the structure and kept the fire impacts to the back of the building, while preventing any damage to nearby businesses, including a Waffle House and Stayable Suites hotel mere feet from the Orange World building. But smoke and water damage will likely render inventory inside as a loss, said Mason Rahman, who with his family own Orange World and a number of other area businesses.

While a fire inspector came out Wednesday morning to do an initial assessment, a visual look at the building shows the fire likely started in a storage area above the ground-floor gift shop, with burning objects falling to the ground at the back door.

The fortunate, less-bad news is this: the building was not a complete loss, and Rahman and other employees, on hand Wednesday morning salvaging what inventory could be saved, say the iconic store should re-open in a few months, depending on how swiftly the insurance process moves along. Rahman said he was talking with those representatives already.

"This place is local history, it's as famous as 'The Mouse'," said Rahman, who said he'd purchased it in 2016. "We're only the second owners. Our employees have been here quite a long time, they bridge the gap to the original owners. We're going to be back, better than ever."

The store sells Indian River citrus, packing and shipping it on site and through online orders. Inside, shoppers can find unique citrus-inspired jellies, marmalades and other confectionaries (Get your milk chocolate alligators!)unique to the store and local area, and, of course, orange-themed t-shirts.

Employee Michael Hurst was there Wednesday helping do what he could. He said he's happily worked at Orange World for seven years, and had shared concern that morning for both his and the store's future. Both said the big citrus season is winding down in March; had the fire happened in November or December, it would have been much more devastating to the business.

He was one a few people to tell customers coming to the store Wednesday morning that it was closed due to what had happened Tuesday night — none of the damage can be seen from 192.

"I really like working here. They treat us very well," said Hurst, who noted he also drives for Amazon and said he'd look to take on some more shifts, if Rahman couldn't find him an interim job in one of his other stores.

History shows the store was originally called Eli's Orange World, after founding owner Eli Sfassie. He came from his native Indiana in 1971 when Disney World opened and built a gas station on a growing stretch of U.S. 192. But his business didn't grow with the crowds, and he began selling souvenirs and other then-trendy merchandise from a service bay. Differing reports — one says 1984, another 1988 — show when he converted the building into a large orange.

"He paid $6,000 to a maker of outhouses for the privilege," according to website TheRetrologist.com, which highlights off-the-beaten-path attractions. It also notes that the Big Orange has also been a big target — the nearby Giant Wizard storefront sign had its crystal ball dislodge during Hurricane Charley in 2004, and a gust of wind flung it into the orange, "leaving a big dent."