The original milk barn at Reed’s Dairy in Idaho Falls caught fire and burned Thursday afternoon resulting in a complete loss of the structure and its contents with damages estimated in the multimillion-dollar range.

Reed’s Dairy President Alan Reed told the Post Register his great-grandfather built the structure, which in recent years was used as a production building where many of the company’s dairy products are made.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department responded to the scene at 2660 W. Broadway St. at 2:45 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters observed visible flames and heavy smoke coming from the attic of a building to the east of the Reed’s Dairy storefront, a department news release said. All employees had evacuated safely.

Fire personnel first attempted to extinguish the fire, fighting it from multiple sides and the interior but they were met with high heat and heavy fire, the release said. It was decided it was unsafe for firefighters to continue fighting the blaze from inside the structure. Firefighters then shifted to a defensive approach, attempting to extinguish the fire from outside the structure and focusing on keeping it from moving to any nearby structures, the release said.

During the fire, the building’s roof collapsed.

The fire was considered extinguished around 4:30 p.m., but firefighters remained on scene as a precaution for several hours afterward. Most firefighters left the scene between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. while an engine and crew of firefighters stayed behind to monitor the structure, the release said. Around 8:15 p.m., a lingering hot spot was located. A ladder truck responded back to the scene to extinguish the hotspot. Idaho Falls Fire cleared the scene at 9:20 p.m.

“For many people, Reed’s Dairy is a community icon,” Fire Chief Duane Nelson said in the release. “Our firefighters felt the support of our community on scene today. We know we are not alone in saying our thoughts are with the Reed family as they process the loss of this structure and plan their path forward.”

Idaho Falls fire investigators are working to determine the fire’s cause.