By Holly Wagner, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Firefighters were still working to put out a fire at a small grocery store and deli in South Minneapolis as dawn broke, hours after the blaze began.

Crews were called to the Cedar Food and Grill around 2:15 Tuesday morning.

Firefighters say thick, black smoke was coming out of the windows on the second floor. They went in and were quickly forced to get out as the fire spread through the roof, which eventually collapsed.

Mohd Wadi owns the building and runs the store with his wife.

“It’s really a big loss for me. This is my life in here, in this business,” he said.

Wadi said one of his store employees lives in the apartment above store and was home when the fire started. Wadi says she got out before firefighters arrived and is now being helped by the Red Cross.

Investigators don’t know what caused the fire yet.

Wadi has owned the building for five years. He has insurance and says he will rebuild Cedar Food and Grill.