Fort Scott ? A massive fire raged through Fort Scott’s historic downtown Friday, destroying at least 10 buildings, Fire Chief Jeff Davis said.

The blaze was believed to have started in The Other Bar on Main Street just before 2 p.m. and quickly spread to other buildings as strong winds “fanned the flames,” Mayor Gary Billionis said. Firefighters were still working on the blaze late Friday night, and Billionis said they would probably be on scene through the weekend.

Davis said at least 10 buildings were “gutted” by the fire and probably an additional half dozen were damaged, although officials would not know exactly until after daylight today.

“It just makes you want to sit down and cry because this is our community,” City Manager Richard Nienstedt said as he looked at a three-story building with the roof caved in. “I’m looking at buildings that it looks like if you look at pictures of World War II of buildings that were bombed and burned down. It looks like that. But we are lucky, no one was hurt.”

Though no one was injured and people were evacuated minutes after firefighters arrived on the scene, Nienstedt said paramedics were there as a precaution.

Billionis said the fire jumped from roof to roof less than two blocks from old Fort Scott Army post that was built in 1842 and is now a historic attraction. The downtown buildings are between 100 and 140 years old, the mayor said.

“I don’t see much salvageable. The roofs burned and fell. It went through all levels. Some buildings were three stories, some were two stories,” Billionis said.

“Part of the history of our town was lost today,” he said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Nienstedt said 10 to 15 fire departments from surrounding communities worked to contain the blaze. Also, two Kansas Army National Guard helicopters flew in and dropped water from overhead.

“It made all the difference,” Billionis said as firefighters on the ground continued to dump water on hot spots late Friday night.

Fort Scott, about 90 miles south of Kansas City, Mo., is home to about 8,200 people and its downtown is just a few blocks long. It’s made up mostly of historic brick buildings with wood interiors that are a three or four levels high and contain a mix of antique stores, restaurants and other retail shopping, as well as a dentist office.

Greg Kuplen, who owns a restaurant across the street from the fire-damaged buildings, believes his business sustained only smoke damage.

“The winds were the biggest enemy,” Kuplen said.