Firefighters from Lewisburg and Chapel Hill spent most of Friday dealing with a potentially serious structure fire in downtown Lewisburg.

Smoke began appearing from the back of the building, at 208 2nd Ave. S., next to the A-Team Machine building, at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning.

A quick response from the Lewisburg Fire Department, aided by the Chapel Hill Fire Department responding to a mutual aid request, knocked down the initial blaze within an hour, although the crews continued to battle hot spots that threatened to reignite throughout the day.

Flames in the ceiling of the structure proved difficult to fully extinguish despite the combined efforts of the Lewisburg and Chapel Hill ladder trucks pushing high pressure water onto the structure.

As late as 4 p.m., Lewisburg was still putting water on the building, due to the fire rekindling.

Traffic through downtown was heavy for hours as drivers sought alternate routes due to street closures.

Preliminary investigation suggests an electrical cause for the fire, according to Lewisburg Fire Chief Larry Williams.

Fire departments across the county operate under a mutual aid agreement, with departments responding to incidents when requested.

On Saturday, six of the county’s departments, including Lewisburg and Chapel Hill, sent equipment or personnel to a house fire on Spring Place Road.

Tribune photo by Scott Pearson

Ladder trucks from the Lewisburg and Chapel Hill Fire Departments use their height to put water on the roof of the building at 208 2nd Ave S. in Lewisburg that caught fire on Friday morning.