(Radio Iowa) – An investigation is underway into a fire that gutted a downtown Malvern business Monday night. Agencies from four southwest Iowa counties responded to the fire at Mulholland Grocery. Mills County Emergency Management Coordinator Larry Hurst says the county’s communications center received a call shortly after 5:30 p.m. from a store employee reporting a fire in the back of the building.

After establishing a command center upon arrival, Hurst says Malvern firefighters realized they needed help from surrounding agencies.

Twenty-nine area agencies responded to the scene, including 22 fire departments, three rescue units, two emergency management agencies and Mills County Sheriff’s Office. Hurst says securing adequate water supplies was a major challenge.

Hurst says firefighters brought the fire under control at around 11 p.m., but Malvern’s unit stayed at the scene until early Tuesday morning extinguishing hot spots. Malvern says the Mulholland building is a total loss, and some adjoining businesses suffered damage.

Hurst says he’s proud of not only the “all hands on deck” approach to the fire from various agencies, but also the Malvern community’s response.

An investigator from the State Fire Marshal’s Office will be continuing with an investigation into the cause of the fire.