5 p.m. — Natchez firefighters have managed to extinguish the majority of flames at Darby’s on Main Street.

Darby’s owner Darby Short said she and several customers were in the store at approximately 4 p.m. when she started hearing loud noises coming from the second floor.

“I just thought plaster was falling off from the ceiling, but then I started smelling smoke and knew something was going on,” Darby said. “I ran over to flip the breaker, and we started trying to get everyone out.”

After all the customers were out of the building, Darby said some of those customers and other members of the community began helping the store owners get all the merchandise out of the building.

“People are just so kind,” Darby said. “They were going into that building with an element of danger to help us. It was incredible.”

Natchez Fire Chief Oliver Stewart said firefighters were able to extinguish the flames on the third floor quickly by taking a hose through the building. Additional firefighters gained access to the third floor from a nearby building and assisted in putting out remaining hot spots.

“We still don’t know what caused the fire,” Stewart said. “We have investigators here now, and as soon as the flames are gone, we’ll start looking into exactly what happened.”

---

NATCHEZ — The Natchez Fire Department has responded to a fire at Darby’s at 410 Main St. in downtown Natchez.

Firefighters responded shortly before 4 p.m.

The majority of the fire has been extinguished and fire crews are working to extinguish any remaining hot spots.

No injuries have been reported.