Heavy smoke billows out of the roof of the vacant Village Inn restaurant at 29th and "O" Street on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. View is looking east from 28th and "O" Street. (Jeff Motz/KFOR News)LINCOLN–(KFOR Nov. 20)–A three-alarm fire burned Wednesday morning inside a vacant central Lincoln restaurant building, fueled by strong westerly winds that caused heavy smoke to linger into nearby neighborhoods. Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were called around 8:30am to the old Village Inn at 29th and “O” Street, where they encountered heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof. “We attempted to go inside and fight it, but determined that we were not making any progress. So, we pulled our crews out,” LFR public information officer M.J. Lierman told KFOR News and other reporters at the scene. Residents were told to shelter in place from the heavy smoke filtering into nearby neighborhoods to the south and east of the scene. Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department officials issued an air quality advisory because of the fire. Traffic on “O” Street was immediately shut down in both directions from 27th to 33rd Street, but all lanes have since reopened. Power had to be shut off to some neighbors in the area, in preventing the fire from spreading. Lierman said no one was found to be inside the building. There have not been any reports of injuries and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Damage estimates are close to $344,000 and an emergency demolition of the building will take place to get hotspots taken care of and to restore electricity to customers in the area. The backside of the old Village Inn building at 29th and “O” collapsed following a fire Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. This view is looking toward the northeast. (Courtesy of Lincoln Fire and Rescue)