Smackover Police Chief Michael Fife described the Sumac Mart as a "total loss" around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, after he returned home from the scene, where the fire had finally been extinguished about a half hour earlier after an estimated three and a half hours of continuous burning.
Fife said a cook for Sumac reported a grease fire starting in one of the store's fryers.
"All we know is that the grease caught fire and it went from there," Fife said.
In a Facebook Live video posted Wednesday evening, smoke can be seen pouring out of the store's roof. Glass can also be heard breaking as firefighters break the windows of the store.
Fife said he was on his way home from shopping at Wal-Mart when he passed by the store, which was on fire by the time he drove by at 6:50 p.m. He estimated that the fire started at about 6:30 Wednesday afternoon, and by the time he arrived on scene, he said, Mayor Bobby Neal and the local Volunteer Fire Department were already there.
One firefighter sustained a minor injury to his hand after cutting it on glass in the course of fighting the fire Wednesday, Fife said. There were no other injuries that resulted from the fire reported.
The Sumac Mart has long been a noted waypoint between El Dorado and Smackover. It is located at 4374 Smackover Highway.
This is a developing story. The News-Times will continue to provide updates as they become available.