TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — A family business in Taylorville was left in ruins overnight when its Taylorville office building was gutted by fire.

The fire happened at East Main Cross and North Main Street, across the street from City Hall. The building houses Mabry & Ward Insurance, a family-run business that’s owned the building for generations.

The Taylorville Fire Department said the fire started just after 11 p.m. when smoke was seen coming from the roof. As firefighters were leaving their station just a few blocks away, they could tell a major fire was underway.

“When the guys literally pulled out here and turned the corner, they couldn’t see anything,” Chief Matthew Aderman said. “The smoke was rolling down the street and blocking everything.”

When firefighters made it to the scene, they found heavy smoke inside the building and made an interior attack to locate the source of the flames, but firefighters had to withdraw when flames breached the roof.

In addition, the exterior walls of the building were starting to bow outward, indicating that collapse was possible.

Firefighters adopted a defensive strategy, fighting the fire from the outside with an aerial stream and handlines on the ground. They also declared an extra alarm, bringing firefighters and additional resources from Owaneco, Stonington, Assumption, Morrisonville-Palmer and Pana.

The fire was officially brought under control at 1:38 a.m. The building’s walls were still standing, but the interior was gutted.

Kerry Ward, the building’s owner, said it’s been in his family for generations. He’s grateful that no one was hurt.

“I’m just glad that all the firefighters were safe. No one was injured fighting the fire,” Ward said. “It is what it is. Life’s going to go on. It’s going to take us a while to get back on our feet, but we’ll get there.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Taylorville Fire officials added that city staff are scheduled to meet with Ward later in the day to address the structural damage to his building. Part of Main Street is closed off to keep people away from the building’s remains and officials said it will remain closes until it is deemed safe or until the building is demolished.