JOHNSTON – Tall flames engulfed a building on Calhoun St. in downtown Johnston drawing firefighters from three departments to battle the blaze.

Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday evening emergency crews were called to the “La Hidaegueuse” in Johnston – a large building located between Bland Furniture and Clark’s Cuts and Kennels, which was home to a local Mexican store and restaurant – with a “fully engulfed” fire underway.

Emergency crews went right to work against the flames, which leapt high into a chilly night sky, but much of the inside of the structure was destroyed.     

Fire units from Johnston, Trenton and Edgefield responded to the incident and another local unit was placed in standby. Local railway traffic was stopped for a time as well.

Plumes of smoke carried into the air across rooftops in Johnston, drawing out crowds of concerned business owners, curious passersby and town residents.

Within an hour or so emergency crews had the fire under control. A tall communication tower in the center of the building was some cause for concern with fire crews working inside, as were some external gas tanks toward the rear area of the structure.

“I’m worried about that tower,” said Edgefield Fire Department’s Ken Durham, looking over at the tall metal structure during a break from the fight. “We’re not sure what it’s really attached to, whether it runs down an I-beam or not and we have six men in there right now.”

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains unknown at this time. None of the buildings nearby were seriously threatened by the fire.

Mr. Donnie Cassels, owner of Bland Furniture Co., said his biggest concern was the huge amount of smoke permeating the air in and around his business just a few feet away.

“This isn’t good for business,” he said before speaking with a fireman.

Firemen then continued to use axes and chain saws to gain entry into the flame-and-smoke-filled building while fire trucks let loose with streams of water on the entire area.

Edgefielddaily.com contributed to this report.