Firefighters battle a fire in a vacant building at the corner of South Cliff Street and Center Avenue on Friday morning, Sept. 15. Crews were called to the Butler fire a little after 3 a.m. to a building at that once was a furniture store. Molly Miller/Butler Eagle

Heavy smoke is still billowing from a structure fire in a vacant building at the corner of South Cliff Street and Center Avenue on Friday morning, Sept. 15.

Crews were called to the Butler fire a little after 3 a.m. and remain on the scene.

Firefighters report the building was a former furniture store.

Ladder trucks from Chicora Volunteer Fire Department and Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Team are parked on the viaduct spraying water into the flames from above.

City police have blocked off Route 356 at its intersection with Route 8.

Due to the heavy smoke from the fire, Butler Area School District will not be having outdoor activities at their schools, according to superintendent Brian White. Schools will still operate on a normal schedule.

“Unfortunately, there is a large warehouse fire in Butler early this morning. As a result, there is a significant amount of smoke near some of our schools,” White said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we will limit outdoor activities at all of the schools impacted by the smoke today.

“All schools will operate under a normal schedules.”

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