A structure fire Friday night destroyed part of a production building owned by Hardwood Products Co. in Guilford, according to a local official.

Allen Emerson, assistant chief of the Guilford Fire Department, said Sunday that the east wall and a portion of the roof of the Puritan building were badly damaged.

No one was in the building at the time of the fire.

A small fan on a workbench probably started the fire, which was deemed electrical, Emerson said. The fire was reported around 10:53 p.m. after night security guard Richard Ridley smelled smoke.

A sprinkler system kept the fire to a minimum and it took firefighters from Guilford, Dover-Foxcroft and Sangerville 20 minutes to put out the flames.

They spent about two hours ventilating the building to remove the smoke.

Employees of Hardwood Products spent the weekend cleaning up the building.

“They were like worker bees repairing the nest,” said Terry Young, general manager of Hardwood Products. “We will be back in full production on Monday morning.”

Young estimated the cost of the damage to be between $40,000 and $60,000. He commended the fast work of the fire departments involved.

“It could have been much worse,” Young said.