LEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — A Lee County woodworking business was destroyed in an intense early morning fire on Oct. 20.

Fire Chief David Forrester said the call about a commercial building fire on Fussell Road at Veterinary Way, near a local animal hospital, came in around 4:17 a.m.

Firefighters arrived to find the building engulfed in flames.

Forrester said that the building was a woodworking cabinet shop.

“There was a lot of flammable material in there that we were having trouble getting to,” he said.

The chief explained that the fire caused the metal roofing of the building to cave in, which made it difficult for firefighters to reach the blaze until an excavator was brought in to remove materials.

He added that one of the major challenges was how late they were notified.

“It was so far involved once we got here,” Forrester said. ”It was late notification, and I guess that time of morning nobody saw it burning.”

The fire was mostly put out by 7:40 a.m., and no one was injured in the blaze.

Lee County Fire and Emergency Services urged drivers to avoid the area of Fussell Road between Highway 82 and Hugh Road as emergency crews remained on scene for hours.

However, the roadway and scene of the blaze have since been cleared.

Lee County Fire and EMS confirmed Veterinary Way Animal Hospital near the site of the blaze was not involved in the incident, and no people or animals were in harm’s way.

WALB is working to produce further coverage for this story.

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