Volunteer firefighters from five counties responded to the fire that destroyed Delisio's Market, formerly Thompson's Market, in Eau Claire on Thursday night. The three-story building had been a landmark on Main Street. Crews prevented the flames from spreading to a nearby automotive painting and detail shop. The cause of the fire is unknown.

EAU CLAIRE — Flames destroyed a community mainstay Thursday night but not the memories.

Delisio's Market — the former Thompson's Market and before that Beatty's Market — was emblematic of the old country store in rural America.

The three-story building on Main Street, around for generations, went up in smoke and fire despite the efforts of more than 100 firefighters from nearly 20 departments in five counties.

“This is where you'd get your milk, your bread, whatever,” said Chief Dale Sellers of the Eau Claire Volunteer Fire Department. “I got penny candy here as a kid. It's been here forever.”

Though the landmark building is gone, firefighters earned high praise for saving another business, an automotive painting and detailing shop, just feet away.

“There aren't many businesses here,” said Chief Reid Campbell of the West Sunbury Volunteer Fire Department. “The town lost one but the guys saved one, too.”

The fire broke out shortly after the store closed at its normal 9 p.m., authorities said. It didn't take long for the blaze to grow into something not seen for some time in these parts.

“It's the worst one I've been to,” said Sellers, who's been fighting fires since 1989.

It appeared the fire started in the corner of the building, possibly in the basement, where the electrical boxes and furnace were located, fire officials said.

But what ignited the blaze is not known. The state police fire marshal's office is investigating.

The extent of the damage also was not immediately known. Authorities guessed it could be $200,000 or more.

“The smoke was really rolling out of it when we got there,” Sellers said. “It was tough getting inside.”

Firefighters tried the front door.

“Smoke blew right out the door so that was the end of that,” Sellers said. An attack crew moved nearby toward an overhead garage door, which was used to make entry into the basement.

The intense fight continued inside for about 30 minutes until the crew had to come out to replenish empty breathing air cylinders.“But as soon as they went back in,” Sellers recounted, “(the fire) rolled over them and they got out.”The battle would have to be an all out exterior attack, authorities said. But water was a major problem.Tanker after tanker from seemingly every company in every neighboring county converged on the town.“It started as a normal tanker shuttle but there weren't enough fill sites,” Campbell said.Crews initially laid a 4-inch supply hose line from a pond on Route 58 in the borough.“But we emptied it out,” Campbell said, referring to the pond.Firefighters next went to the Western PA Child Care juvenile detention facility on Route 38 in nearby Allegheny Township.Tanker crews tapped into the facility's water tank. But officials at the detention center eventually had to cut off the water when the supply got too low.Firefighters were sent branching to any available pond or creek for water.A layer of metal siding that covered the 60-foot-by-100-foot wood frame building and a tin covering over the roof made for another problem.“It was tough getting at the fire through all that metal,” Sellers said.Once it was clear that the building could not be saved, the priority for firefighters became protecting the Automotive Excellence shop next to it and an insurance office nearby.“What those guys did to save that auto business,” Campbell said, “cannot be understated. They really minimized any fire exposure there.”“That business will be open (today). That's amazing.”It took awhile, and a pair of ladder trucks from the Emlenton Volunteer Fire Department in Venango County, but the fire was finally out around 1:30 a.m. today. There were no injuries.Afterward, fatigued and hungry firefighters reflected on the fire's impact on tiny Eau Claire, population 316, according to the most recent U.S. Census.“It's a major fire to a little community,” Campbell said.“It was the only store we had,” Sellers said. “Now all we have is the post office, bank, Hunters (Truck Sales) and an insurance office.”The market featured all the typical trappings of a general store, primarily basic food, a meat counter and lunch counter.“It was a very popular store,” Campbell said. “There are a lot of people with fond memories of this place.”The new owner and former owners of the business were both at the scene of the fire. They could not be reached for comment this morning.

Delisio's Market — the former Thompson's Market and before that Beatty's Market — was destroyed by a fire lateThursday night in Eau Claire. The store had been in thesmall town for generations, and it was the only market inEau Claire. Fortunately, fi refi ghters were able to save theadjacent business.