Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky over downtown Regina on Wednesday morning as a result of a fire on Broad Street.
The fire broke out at Lang’s Café on the 1700 block of Broad Street around 5:51 a.m. on Wednesday.
Emergency officials closed off traffic on the block to fight what they call a “stubborn” blaze.
The façade of the building collapsed shortly before 7 a.m.
Crews are now working on hotspots at the scene and the air is heavy with smoke and ash.
No injuries have been reported, and officials believe the building was empty when the fire broke out.
It's expected that fire crews will be on scene for most of the day.
Lang's Cafe posted the following statement on Facebook:
"Thank you to the Regina Firefighters, Regina Police Service and everyone who helped contained the fire this morning. We are grateful that no one was hurt and we are thankful for your service and the outpouring of support. Our family is devastated by the fire as the restaurant meant so much more to us. It a place for us to connect with the community and has been in our family for generations."
Heritage Regina tells CTV News that the building was constructed between 1905 and 1907. It started out as a commercial apartment building, and has been home to several restaurants, a general store and a confectionary before it became Lang's Cafe.
CTV News gained access to Wonderland Arcade. There is up to four inches of water on the floor, but there doesn’t appear to be any fire damage. The arcade posted on social media that it will be closed indefinitely. The owner of the neighbouring salon says she hasn’t been able to get into her business due to safety concerns. She doesn’t know the extent of damage to her salon.
The fire department has not started an investigation into the cause of the fire, but says it might be difficult because of the way the structure collapsed.
