ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a strip mall on 8th Avenue near Slappey Boulevard in Albany.

The Albany Fire Department (AFD) worked for hours to control the fire Wednesday and early Thursday morning.

WALB started getting reports of the structure being on fire around 1:30 p.m. today, and around 6 p.m. Wednesday evening, firefighters were still working to put the fire out. AFD is also working to figure out how the fire started in the first place.

Witnesses in the area told WALB, it started as a small fire on the left backside of the building. They say they assumed someone was burning trash or something, but before they knew it the entire building was engulfed with flames.

The AFD battalion chief tells WALB that when firefighters first arrived on scene they quickly knocked on all doors, but it seemed the building was vacant because there were no cars outside.

WALB has been able to identify some of the businesses on fire in the 8th Avenue Professional Plaza.

A few of the businesses listed as tenants include:

• Recycle Restore Reuse
• SMART Print Solutions
• Jackay’s Fashion & Accessories

It’s unclear if they the businesses were still active in the strip mall at the time of the fire. AFD’s chief tells WALB that there is at least 8 units fighting the fire from the air and on the ground.

Stay with us for more updates, when more information is available.

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