A fire that investigators believed started in the rear of a bar spread and destroyed four downtown businesses in Vandalia early on Tuesday.
An investigation into the fire, which was discovered shortly after 1 a.m., by the Office of the State Fire Marshal is continuing.
The Vandalia Volunteer Fire Department was on scene within four minutes, and requested mutual aid assistance from the volunteer fire departments in Brownstown and Ramsey.
The buildings destroyed in the fire housed a bar, carpet store, tax and accounting service, and insurance agency.
Vandalia firefighters were at the scene through 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and returned several times for rekindles. Firefighters used about 1 million gallons of water in extinguishing the blaze.
No injuries were reported. No damage estimates have been made.
