MADERA – Firefighters on eight fire trucks from Madera County’s Cal-Fire responded Thursday evening to the former Madera Athletic Club building as flames ripped through the roof of the sixty-year-old, block long-abandoned structure located at Orchard and Sunset Avenues.

Fire Battalion Chief Christian Trindade said he is unsure what caused the fire said he believes the fire's point of origin was the lobby of the gym which spread north and south down the hallways to engulf most of the roof of the structure.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, flames were shooting through the roof and out the front entrance of the gym. Because the roof was fully engulfed in flames, fire crews were forced to fight the fire from outside

PG&E remotely shut off power to the neighborhood from Schnoor Avenue to Pine Street. When they arrived at the scene, they realized that the power meter had been pulled from the building a couple of years prior. Power to the neighborhood was restored a few hours later.

Two homes behind the gym on Williams Avenue were evacuated because of embers from the fire falling on the house. The two families were allowed to return to their homes later Friday morning when it was deemed to be safe.

At the height of the fire, over two dozen firefighters responded. Crews were on scene until Sunset Avenue was reopened Friday around 2:00 PM. Orchard Avenue in front of the gym is still closed to traffic.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.