A landmark building in downtown Fort Smith is damaged after a fire on Sunday, authorities said.
The blaze sparked shortly before 5 p.m. inside the Area Agency on Aging building at 6th Street and Garrison Avenue.
Officials said the fire caused damage to offices on three floors of the building. Nobody was inside the building when the blaze started.
They said the fire was confined to the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the building.
"We got in pretty quick, and the guys did a good job getting to it. We got the ladder truck set up real quick. Luckily, we kept it from spreading any further," said Fort Smith Fire Department spokesman Bill Fant.
Owners of nearby businesses were still worried.
"We got a phone call that the building was on fire right next to us. By the time I got here, the fire department did a good job. Looks like it's out," said Sam Wald.
Authorities said the building is still structurally safe. Agency officials are working to make sure that business won't be interrupted in the area.
"We plan on working. We'll work on the floors that were unaffected. Everyone needs to show up to work. We're not closing for snow and ice. We're not closing for a fire. We'll be here," said Jim Medley, with the Area Agency on Aging.
Investigators said they are still looking into the cause of the fire. They think it started on the fifth floor.
