A grocery store in Beardstown was completely destroyed after a fire on Friday evening.

According to a Beardstown Fire Department report, a Beardstown Police officer noticed heavy smoke in the 600 block of East 4th Street around 9:20 p.m. Friday. It was determined that it was coming from the La Frontera grocery store.

The Beardstown Fire Department was alerted and arrived quickly on the scene. Firefighters entered the building through a side door at the rear and were greeted by thick smoke and intense heat. They were able to quickly locate and extinguish the fire.

Immediately afterward, the building was also entered through the front door for ventilation. Adjacent buildings, which house the VFW and a storage area, suffered severe smoke damage. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

The fire remains under investigation by the Beardstown Fire Department and personnel from the Illinois State Bureau of Fire Protection.

Firefighters were on scene for approximately 3 1/2 hours. Arenzville Fire Department was on scene for mutual aid. Other responders on scene included Beardtown Police, Beardtown EMS, Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Ameren-Illinois.