Firefighters quickly extinguished an exterior fire at the boarded-up Spires restaurant on Lakewood Boulevard Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Firefighters got to the scene at 11:40 a.m. and initially saw smoke rising from the back of the building, although they were unsure if the flames were inside or outside, Long Beach Fire Department spokesman Jake Heflin said.

Crews had to open up the roof to vent out smoke. Photo by Stephen Carr.

After investigating, they found that the fire was outside the back of the building and burning a nearby tree, which spread onto the roof of the building, he said.

Smoke had also filled the inside of the restaurant, so firefighters had to open the building to vent it. Firefighters extinguished the fire by noon. They also called a hazardous materials team because they found drug paraphernalia inside the building.

Fire investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

The building that housed the Spires restaurant is set to be knocked down and replaced with a new development, including a Jack-in-the-Box and a Starbucks.

Firefighters stand on the roof of the old Spires building. Photo by Stephen Carr.

Valerie Osier is the Social Media & Newsletter Manager for the Long Beach Post. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ValerieOsier