Florence fire

Firefighters battling a structure fire in downtown Florence early on the morning of Aug. 5, 2021.

A blaze of flames and smoke consumed a building in downtown Florence Wednesday night, firefighters said.

The fire erupted around 11:45 p.m. in a two-story, historic building off West Main Street, Florence Fire District Chief, Bill Ritter, said.

Heavy fire damage impacted much of the second floor, which was under construction for apartments, Ritter said. The first floor of the building housed several businesses.

Video provided to Gazette news partner KKTV showed flames raging atop the structure and thick smoke surging into the sky.

West Main Street at the intersection of Santa Fe Avenue was shut down as of 8:15 a.m. as crews continued to search and extinguish "hidden" fire, Ritter said. The road is expected to reopen after noon, Colorado State Patrol tweeted.

No injuries were reported, Ritter said.

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