Wichita firefighters battle blaze at Airgas Central (PHOTOS) (VIDEO)

Wichita firefighters fought a fire Monday afternoon at an Airgas Central distribution facility on South West Street.

Crews responded shortly before 2 p.m. to Airgas Central at 2018 S. West St. Smoke was rolling out of the building when they arrived, and fire was visible on the roof, authorities said.

Firefighters briefly entered the building, where they heard a number of small explosions. The business stores compressed gas cylinders, said Wichita Fire Marshal Brad Crisp.

The decision was made to pull crews out of the building and attack the fire from the building’s exterior, Crisp said. The fire was extinguished in less than an hour.

No injuries were reported. Crisp said all employees were safely evacuated.

He said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Traffic in both directions on West Street was blocked Monday afternoon but was restored shortly after 5 p.m.

This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Wichita firefighters battle blaze at Airgas Central (PHOTOS) (VIDEO)."