Hamilton Crossroads Fire Chief Jesse Senn said volunteer firefighters saved a building near Shellhorn Sunday night with their quick response.

An old Masonic lodge, built with pine, had caught fire and firefighters arrived to find heavy gray smoke coming from the eaves of the building.

“We were the second truck to pull up,” Senn said. “Meeksville firefighters were the first on the scene. There was nobody inside.”

Senn said his crew joined the Meeksville fighters in going inside the building and extinguishing the flames.

“We made entry into the house and knocked out the body of the fire on the second floor within seconds, Senn said. “Other units from Goshen, Brundidge, Pike Fire and Rescue and the City of Troy arrived later on and helped knock out hot spots and pull ceilings.”

The building could have been lost quickly if firefighters had not been there as soon as they did, Senn said.

“It was a very fortunate situation that we were able to save the structure,” Senn said. “It is an old pine building that could have gone up very fast. Thank goodness for Meeksville’s quick response time getting there. It could have been a total loss.”

Senn said the cause of the fire is still being investigated.