ASHBURNHAM – Firefighters were able to contain a three-alarm fire Wednesday at Mr. Mike's and Dunkin' Donuts on Route 101 to the back of the building, keeping it from reaching the gas tanks in the front of the store and propane stored at a Roy Brothers Oil & Propane property next door.

The building is a total loss, Ashburnham Fire Chief Jack E. Parow said. No one was injured in the fire, which started just before 4 p.m.

Chief Parow said when firefighters arrived, there was thick smoke coming from all corners of the building and flames were shooting into the sky in the back. He said he believes the fire started in the rear of the building near the drive-up speaker for Dunkin' Donuts, possibly in the bark mulch back there. The cause is still under investigation.

Everyone was out of the building when the call came in around 3:40 p.m., the chief said.

“The flames ran up the back of the building and into the attic,” Chief Parow said. “The whole middle section was fully engulfed in flames above the roof line.”

Firefighters from Ashburnham, Gardner, Winchendon, Westminster and Ashby fought the blaze and kept the flames far enough away from the gas tanks, he said, and had the fire knocked down in 30 minutes.

Maddy N. Sargent, 16, of Ashburnham and Cassie L. Girouard, 17, of Ashby were working at Dunkin' Donuts, when they smelled smoke and heard alarms.

Three employees were working at Mr. Mike's, Ms. Sargent said, who made sure everyone got out, including a man in his 80s who needed some assistance. There were only a few customers in the building, they said.

“We were scared,” Cassie said. “We have gas pumps and propane all around the building and there is propane at Roy Brothers next door.”

Mr. Mike's fills propane tanks for customers, she said.

“All of our coffee burners are extremely explosive, too,” Maddy said. “It happened so fast. In minutes it was up in flames. The (power) lines across the street were sparking and they thought a transformer was going to blow up.”

Steven G. Hawkins, who lives across the street from the business on South High Street with his wife, Laurie R. Hawkins, was home and said he heard sirens.

“I looked outside and saw smoke billowing and then about a half hour later, I saw flames,” Mr. Hawkins said.

He said he was worried about the gas pumps, but firefighters arrived quickly and were able to get water right away.

He said he was texting his wife who was at work in Fitchburg to tell her what happened.

“How tragic,” Ms. Hawkins said, after getting home from work while firefighters still worked on hot spots. “I thought, ‘Oh my God. The gas tanks.’ ”

She said when she knew the fire was under control, her first question was, “Where am I going to get my coffee?”

When jokingly asked where people would get their coffee, Chief Parow said, “I don’t know. This is where I get my gas, too.”

It was the only Dunkin' Donuts and gas station in the town.

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— David Bryce (@Brycz20) April 19, 2017////////