Firefighters battled a commercial structure fire Thursday afternoon at a strip mall on the 1600 block of East Ashlan Avenue near Blackstone, authorities said.

The Fresno Fire Department responded just after 2 p.m. following multiple reports of heavy smoke. First crews on scene reported flames and smoke coming from the roof and evacuated nearby businesses while initiating an aggressive fire attack.

The shopping center houses a burger restaurant, vacant barbershop, taqueria, 7-Eleven, and clothing store, officials said.

Fire officials said the vacant unit, the taqueria, and 7-Eleven sustained damage, but crews successfully prevented the fire from spreading to the remaining businesses.

No injuries were reported. The incident escalated to a third alarm, with 65 firefighters working to extinguish hotspots.

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