Commercial building fire in Pennsylvania. Early video from Ephrata Township.

This fire was just before 5:30 PM yesterday at JR’s Cycle Shop at 840 East Main Street in Ephrata Township, Pennsylvania. Here is an excerpt from Jennifer Todd’s story about the fire at LancasterOnline.com:

When firefighters arrived, the front of the building was enveloped in heavy flames and smoke, Pioneer Deputy Chief Vernon Schmuck said.

The owner of the business, who was thought to have possibly been inside, was quickly accounted for, he said.

Fire crews mounted an exterior attack and attempted to battle the blaze from the unaffected rear of the building, Schmuck said.

“(But) as we were setting up it kept feeding, and we just couldn’t get ahead of it,” he said.

Schmuck said the building appears to be a total loss, but he could not provide a damage estimate late Wednesday.