A fire overnight in Mount Olive destroyed a LongHorn Steakhouse and left three firefighters with minor injuries.

Fire Chief Tyler Wargo, of the Flanders Fire Department, says three of his firefighters, two men and one woman, suffered minor injuries battling the flames that engulfed the steakhouse at 50 International Blvd., but should be fine.

The chief says when they arrived around midnight, flames were through the roof. 

“Unfortunately, this fire -- just not much we could do,” says Chief Wargo.

He was prepared initially to battle them back, but when he realized the flames were gas fed, he knew keeping firefighters safe was the priority. 

“I initially had interior attack crews inside the structure, and then I pulled them all out based on the fire transitioning to a gas driven fire,” says Chief Wargo.

Heavy equipment brought down the walls after it was determined the structure was not safe enough to leave standing. 

“Every fire is different at the end of the day,” says says Chief Wargo. The ultimate goal is to keep my men and women safe and all the supporting units that respond, the mutual aid assignments. That’s my primary goal obviously, and then secondary is protecting property.”

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire. The chief says those answers will eventually come from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.