FERGUSON, Mo. – Dozens of firefighters are on the scene of a fire at a laundromat in Ferguson Thursday morning.

The fire broke out on South Florissant Road, not far from the Ferguson Police Department and fire department headquarters. Extreme damage was done to the ‘Laundry Basket’ laundromat. The flames are out now, but it took a second alarm and about an hour and a half for crews to get the fire here under control.

Fire crews got the first call for the fire about 3:15 a.m. Randy Skaggs, the assistant chief for the Ferguson Fire Department, told FOX 2 that when the first crews got there, heavy smoke was coming from the building. Not long after that flames started shooting through the roof.

Skaggs also shared that firefighters went to basically an exterior operation trying to surround and drown the fire.

The heat has been a major issue Thursday morning. One firefighter was taken away on a stretcher after suffering from heat exposure. He was treated at the scene, but did not have to be transported.

Firefighters were seen drinking lots of fluids to try and stay hydrated. We also saw crews sitting down and taking breaks. Assistant Chief Skaggs said that in this weather there is more to calling a second alarm than just fighting the fire.

“We want to call a second alarm just so we have extra man power,” Skaggs explained. “So guys can go and take those breaks. Get rehydrated, go back in. – and then we try to shuffle them through and let them have 20 minutes to recoup and get some fluids in their system.”

Fortunately, no serious injuries are being reported from the fire. At this point, a cause is still under investigation.

FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.