DRAKE (AP) - A fire that started in an abandoned building spread, and firefighters from area communities spent about four hours battling the blaze on Drake's Main Street early Friday.

McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Toftland said no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was not known.

"It's really hard to tell," Toftland said. "They were ripping things out (of the building). We're not really positive what could have happened, if it could have been a tool from earlier in the day or whatever."

He said residents were asked not to use water for a time, so it would be available for firefighters.

Toftland said the fire was reported about 2 a.m. Fire crews from Drake, Anamoose, Harvey and Velva responded.

Drake's only grocery store suffered heavy smoke damage.

"You hate to see things like that happen in a small town," Mayor David Rosel said. Drake has about 325 people, he said.

The buildings that burned dated back to the 1920s and 1930s, and the fire left a big gap on the street - like "somebody pulled two front teeth out of your mouth," the mayor said.

The buildings were to be destroyed but not so soon, he said.

"We hadn't let any bids on them yet," he said. "Now, I guess we don't have to."