Hours after firefighters were first called to a fire in an east Edmonton building, crews knocked much of the charred building down.

The call came in to firefighters over the fire on 101 Avenue and 73 Street, at about 5:20 a.m. Monday.

Crews quickly ran into challenges with the building as they tried to keep the fire at bay.

“They’re trying to get in, part of the roof has collapsed,” Scott MacDonald with Edmonton Fire Rescue said. “The structural integrity of the building is compromised. It’s difficult to get inside to get at those hotspots.”

Residents living in the two storey mixed-use building were evacuated, and sheltered in an ETS bus.

Police blocked off 101 Avenue between 71 and 75 Street, in both directions to give crews room to work.

Before noon Monday, a track hoe was on the scene and had knocked the building down, while firefighters worked to put out hotspots.

Meanwhile, firefighters remained on the scene throughout the day, targeting hot spots and keeping the fire from spreading to neighbouring businesses, such as Studio Post, which shared a wall with the apartment block.

“Had a look inside, and there doesn’t appear to be too much damage in our building,” Steve Nichols, owner of Studio Post, said.

The Red Cross is providing assistance to tenants left homeless by the fire, providing them food, shelter and clothing for the next three days.

With files from Susan Amerongen