FERGUSON, Mo. — A Ferguson laundromat was damaged by an early-morning fire Thursday.
Firefighters from multiple departments worked for hours to get the fire under control at The Laundry Basket at 702 South Florissant Road. The fire started at about 3:30 a.m., and crews said it was under control just before 5 a.m.
Crews were still monitoring the fire at 6:30 a.m.
Firefighters said no one was inside at the time of the fire.
Although the fire happened in the early morning hours, firefighters had to take breaks and use other strategies to stay cool. Video from the scene showed a firefighter being loaded into an ambulance.
Firefighters have not said what caused the fire.
Crews sprayed water from two directions onto the top of the building because the interior was compromised.
Neighbors said the business has been a staple in the community for years. Some said they brought their clothes to the laundromat to clean them after historic flooding in the area last July.
"Whoever the owner is he came and invested a lot of money in this to fix it up and make it a good laundromat and it served the community very well while it was here," said Roger Herin, a neighbor.
Herin, a former fire marshal, noted the pressure on firefighters during extreme heat.
"The gear is heavy. The clothes that you have to wear are heavy and thick. The equipment is heavy. It really takes a toll in the heat," he added.
Firefighters with the Metro North, Ferguson and North County fire departments worked to put out the fire.
One firefighter was taken away from the scene of the fire in an ambulance. Ferguson Fire Chief John Hampton said he was later released and was "doing well."