PAXTON – The state fire marshal's office is investigating a fire that destroyed a Paxton landmark Tuesday morning.

It's unclear how fire started in the Paxton Majestic Theater, but more information should be available Wednesday, said Investigator Shane Arndt. The building is located in the 100 block of South Market Street.

The building was still smoking Tuesday afternoon. It appears that no one was injured in the fire. It destroyed the building, which included three apartments on its top floor.

Meanwhile, the town is mourning the loss of the building that once housed numerous live theater productions per year. The Paxton Majestic Theater group started putting on plays there in the late 1980s until rent and utility costs became too expensive in 2005.

"The whole theater group has been calling each other all day long," said Sue Sawyer, who has directed shows with the theater group and whose son and daughter-in-law were married there. "I told them they should have a wake."

The theater caught fire at about 10 o'clock Tuesday morning, and its marquee and roof collapsed about an hour later. Dozens of firefighters responded from six area departments.

"It was just so sad to see something so historical go up so fast," said Rhonda Blackford, a florist at A Picket Fence, which is located across the street from the theater.

Royce Baier, the president of the Paxton Foundation, called the theater an "anchor building" and compared its loss to that of the historic Middlecoff Hotel.

"When those buildings are gone, they're gone forever," Baier said. "Luckily, we didn't lose the whole main street. Today was a tough day for Paxton."

Firefighters from Paxton, Buckley, Loda, Elliot, Ludlow and Rantoul responded and were still on the scene Tuesday afternoon.