CENTRAL CITY — A weekend fire destroyed a Central City Laundromat as firefighters’ efforts were hampered by a large amount of fuel reportedly stored in an attached warehouse.

According to the Centralia Fire Protection District, their firefighters found heavy smoke and flames Saturday morning when they responded to a fire at the Honey Pot Comfort Laundry on North Broadway in Central City.

Reports indicate the fire started in the rear of one of the dryers and went unnoticed by patrons inside the Laundromat until smoke was rolling out of the building.

Everyone inside the building escaped without injury, but the fire did require Highway 51 north to be closed while firefighters fought the blaze.

As photos we shared online at the time of the fire Saturday show, a large cloud of smoke from the fire enveloped the area in Central City.

The building is owned by Jason Loepker and has had multiple fire calls since its opening in 2016, including one in July.

In addition to a large amount of fuel stored in the attached warehouse, a large number of items stored in the warehouse made fighting the blaze difficult for firefighters who responded to the scene. CFPD was assisted at the scene by firefighters from The Centralia City Fire Department.

The State Fire Marshal was on the scene to try and determine the cause of the fire.