DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Excavation crews worked Wednesday to take down walls and clean up Grand Avenue, leading to the successful reopening the Decatur road days after buildings were destroyed in a fire. 

After the fire started in the former Aramark building, located near the intersection of Calhoun Street and Grand Avenue, flames spread to two other buildings. Two of the three buildings involved ended up collapsing. 

Firefighters upgraded the response to a third alarm fire and additional units from across the area came in to support fire suppression efforts. A total of 44 firefighters worked at the scene, including 39 fire personnel and five chief officers with six engines and four ladder trucks. 

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. 

People could see smoke for miles around the city and even from different central Illinois counties.

Decatur city leaders are footing the bill for Wednesday cleanup efforts at the Calhoun and Grand area site. 

Wednesday's work, which included tearing down walls to stabilize the structure in order to keep them from falling into the road, along with clearing the Grand Avenue street area, carried a cost of several thousand dollars. 

The owner of the former Aramark building is in the Middle East as of Wednesday and isn't expected to be back until the week of May 10. The owner told the city it couldn't do anything until they returned, but city leaders said they weren't willing to wait that long. The company that owns the building is GULFCO, LTD., which has an office based out of the Chicago suburbs, according to its website. 

The building was recorded as purchased on April 26, 2021, which was five days before the fire, according to the Macon County Recorder's Office. 

Decatur leaders plan to bill the owner for cleanup and demolition work, which Decatur's deputy city manager estimated will cost in the range of $250,000.

If the owner doesn't pay, city officials said a construction lien will be placed on the building. Decatur leaders believe they will get the money from the owner somehow.  

Grand Avenue was reopened just before 4 p.m. Wednesday, per a press release from the city of Decatur.Â