UTICA, N.Y. -- Fire damages a vacant building in near Utica. The former Grossman's building at French Road and Seward Avenue, more recently known as the Sportsplex caught fire around 3:30 this morning.

Officials say the flames were contained to the metal building, but the roof did collapse as they were fighting the fire. They say the size of the building presented challenges for firefighters.

"Obviously it's a large structure, we've got to use a lot of water. We had to use aerial devices to throw water on it, and then we had several large hose lines in place that the men were operating. It just takes manpower. It's labor intensive," said Utica Fire Department Deputy Chief George Clark.

The investigation into what sparked the fire will begin as soon as the building is deemed safe.