Cedar Rapids, IOWA – According to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, this unfortunate incident occurred right before 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
It happened at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Bowling St SW.
Cedar Rapids Fire Department crews responded to a report of a commercial fire.
The responding crews made an initial attempt to locate and extinguish the fire from inside the building.
Entry was made through the rear door and crews were able to reach the upper loft of the building but were quickly forced to abandon that plan due to high heat and smoke preventing them from operating safely.
At nearly the same time, fire broke through the roof and began burning away support systems for the air handling unit.
The responding crews were able to extinguish the blaze in just 1 hour.
Officials said that the building sustained extreme damage but no injuries to civilians, employees or firefighters were reported.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.