A fire destroyed a community space in the town of Ste. Anne Friday night.

The fire started shortly after 11:30 p.m. Patricia McPherson was driving through town when she saw smoke coming from the Jovial Club on Central Avenue.

She stopped to check it out, and saw a spark or flame coming from the back of the building.

Within 10 minutes, flames were shooting out of the back of the building. She called 911 and firefighters soon arrived, but there was little they could do.

When firefighters arrived on scene around 11:45, the building was already ablaze.

“We arrived to heavy fire in the attic. It probably took us an hour and a half to get it under control,” said Ste. Anne Fire Chief John Desrochers.

“It’s a pretty big loss. It’s a very, very big loss for the community,” McPherson said.

McPherson said the roof collapsed and it looks like the building is a “complete loss.”

No word yet on what caused the fire. No injuries have been reported.