Moncton area firefighters spent Sunday morning battling a fire that ripped through the Maritime Ice Company in Moncton.

Moncton area firefighters spent Sunday morning battling a fire that ripped through the Maritime Ice Company in Moncton.

The emergency call came in at 2:30 a.m.

By the time fire crews arrived, the large warehouse was fully engulfed, with flames shooting high above the building.

The Moncton Fire Department said the facility was a complete loss, so firefighters focused their efforts on protecting nearby buildings.

No one was inside at the time.

Emergency officials blocked off the area, and redirected traffic away from Albert Street.

The fire was under control around noon, but firefighters remained at the scene to tackle hot spots.

"The only thing that we're monitoring that could be of concern is that there's a presence of ammonia in certain parts of the building," said Fire Chief Eric Arsenault. "We're hoping that's just the remnants of the storage tank that they had. That's the only part right now that's causing us any bit of concern."

Company owner Bill Mckay said he's in shock over his loss.

He said the building was insured.

There is no word yet on what caused the fire.

The Maritime Ice Company produced bags of ice purchased at gas stations, supermarkets and corner stores.

Four people were employed by the company during the winter. Twelve employees worked there during the summer months.