WINSTON-SALEM -- A fire at South Fork Cleaners was reported a little after midnight. The commotion woke up neighbors who live off Country Club Road.
"I heard one of the trucks come up, and when you heard the siren stop, you know it's close," said Diana Lee, who lives across the street from the cleaners.
"I looked out, [and] there were flames and all this stuff going on, but mainly was the smoke, was really a lot of smoke," said Lee.
"Units arrived on scene and found the building heavily involved in flames,” said Jeffrey K. Heitman, battalion chief with the Winston-Salem Fire Department. “It took about 24 firefighters around 48 minutes to get the fire under control."
The building was so heavily damaged parts collapsed.
Firefighters had to bring in a track hoe to help get to some spots.
"We still have some hotspots, pockets of fire we're trying to get to,’’ said Heitman.
The business has been in that location since the 60s. Owner Thomas Herman was so overwhelmed he didn't want to talk. Some neighbors expressed concerns about dry cleaning chemicals, but firefighters say they were not a problem.
"In this case, there’s approximately 110 gallons on site, all contained in the two machines they're supposed to be contained in, no leaks, no spills," said Heitman.
The owner was hoping to salvage a computer with a list of customers, to notify them about what happened and what to do about their clothes. He says he'll post further news for his customers on the cleaners' website.
Neighbors hope they're back in business soon.
"Oh yeah, you don't want to see the building empty or any of that," said Lee.
So far, the cause hasn't been determined.