Beloved Sunrise Bakery in New Bedford, Massachusetts destroyed in fire

A beloved neighborhood bakery in New Bedford, Massachusetts was destroyed in a fire late Wednesday night, leaving behind heavy damage but no reported injuries.

The iconic Sunrise Bakery, a longtime staple known for Portuguese baked goods, was boarded up Thursday as crews assessed the damage.

The New Bedford Fire Department said they were called on scene around 10 p.m. Wednesday night after a neighbor saw smoke billowing from the building.

"It was like increasing, increasing and it was like at the point that you didn't know how it was going to stop," neighbor Leishla Rodriguez said as she watched firefighters battle the blaze.

Fire crews were able to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby homes.

"They did a great job stopping it from spreading, these houses are very, very close. That's always a challenge. These guys did a heck of a job keeping it from spreading over," New Bedford Fire Chief Brian Medeiros explained.

By morning, the extent of the destruction was clear, a buckled roof, blackened debris and soot covering the interior of the historic shop.

"I parked right there, I see the sign I didn't see nothing else. I was just going to see the door and get my bread and nothing there," said Eugenia Cavallo, who came to pick up bread for her grandchildren.

"Nobody got hurt, that's the first thing I asked, and it was like a shock for me," she added.

Cavallo said she, like many others, has been coming to the bakery for decades. For many in the neighborhood, the business is closely tied to Bolton Street.

"That's how we consider this street, like the Sunrise Bakery place and it's sad, it's really sad," Rodriguez added.

Despite the loss, community members expressed hope the bakery will rebuild.

"I hope so, I hope so, because everyone needs a bakery and this bakery has been here my God, about 40 something years," Cavallo said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.