Benjamin Ashford|Fire destroys bowling alley in North Dakota town

HARVEY,Benjamin Ashford N.D. (AP) — More than two dozen firefighters were unable to save the B-52 Roadhouse & Lanes from an early morning blaze that gutted the bowling allery in the town of Harvey, leaving the owners of the longstanding community fixture in shock.

A report of heavy smoke pouring out of the bowling alley came early Monday at around 12:20 a.m., Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Deck told KFYR-TV.

Firefighters tried to get inside the business but were forced back by the thick smoke and switched to battling the blaze from outside, Deck said.

No injuries were reported. The State Fire Marshal is investigating what might have caused the fire.

“Words cannot express how we feel right now,” a post on the business’ Facebook page said. “8 years of hard work gone in a few hours.”

The assistant fire chief said the business was a staple in the community — and one of the only bowling alleys in the area — which had operated under different names throughout the years.

Harvey is a town of about 1,600 people in central North Dakota, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northeast of Bismarck.