Just one day after demolition preparation work began, a fire tore through a portion of the old Ideal Forging building downtown Wednesday night.

Fire officials say the fire was called in around 7:30 p.m. for smoke in the area, according to a statement from the fire department. When crews arrived on scene, flames were seen inside the building and coming from the roof of the structure on Center Street.

Firefighters found a large number of wooden pallets and cardboard burning inside the building. It took two hours to bring the fire under control and crews didn't clear the scene until 11 p.m.

A few firefighters remained on scene throughout the night to check for hotspots, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Howard Schlesinger, of Meridian Development, said the fire would have no impact on the demolition plans for the property and everything will proceed as planned.