GAYLORD, MI -- The Michigan Fire Marshal is working to find out what caused a Downtown Gaylord building to burn to the ground.

This is the third time in three years of a downtown business burning.  This happened at the old Gaylord Lumber Yard.

The fire started around 9pm Wednesday.  The building that used to unload rail cars for the old Gaylord Lumber Yard went up in flames, and went up quick.  Thousands of people lined downtown streets to watch crews work fast to gain control.

“It was fully engulfed when we arrived on scene, it did catch the back of the interior of the Venus Blue Jean and resale shop and the back end of Mary's Tavern on its roof," said Chief David Duffield of the Otsego Co. Fire Department.

In the back of the blue jean shop, there are two apartment complexes.  When crews arrived, the flames had already attacked.  Six fire departments responded, and three latter trucks were on the scene.  Hot embers and other burning debris created spot fires along the stretch of businesses on the North side of M-32 near North Otsego Avenue.

This fire also burned very hot.  A parking meter is about 20 feet from the abandoned building’s plastic is melted.

A bunch of torched lumber and soon-to-be scrapped metal is all that is left of the Gaylord Lumber Yard building.  I met up with one person today who said she was one of the first people to notice the fire, and immediately ran inside to let people know of the inferno.

"Ran across the street to see what it was, ran into the bar, back here, back into the bar, told them to call 911, then came back here, went up here, got the people out there," said Margaret Perfetti, who witnessed the fire.

She said she found at least one person in an apartment that is no longer.  Thankfully, no one was hurt in this fire.  The owner of Mary's Tavern says fire crews were at their best.

“Fire Department kicked butt last night, they had one truck in the back putting water on the back, they had one truck putting water on the front, so we were happy this bar's still here," said owner Kat Steinbrecher.

The Michigan State Fire Marshall is still working to find out started the fire.