JEFFERSON -- Flames lit up the pre-dawn sky Wednesday as Smiley's Restaurant and Lounge went up in smoke. The fire eventually spread to the adjacent motel, forcing people to evacuate.

"I heard glass shatter and it just seemed kinda funny so I looked outside and saw crackling and saw the bar was on fire so I grabbed as much of my possessions as I could and got out," said John Hornacek from Akron, Ohio.

The blaze burned for several hours before crews could get it under control.

About 100 people staying in the motel were contract workers in town from all over the country.

Many said they were either returning from work or getting ready to go to work at the John Amos Power Plant when the fire broke out.

"We were hanging out in the bar and we left. The next thing I knew it's like 4 a.m. and my buddy's waking me up. He said the bar's burning down and I said you gotta be kidding me," said Tom Masten from Daytona Beach, Fla.

The State Fire Marshal's office is now investigating the cause of the blaze.

Many who fought the flames are thankful this building was the only casualty.

"As long as nobody got hurt and everybody gets to go home," said Mark Ford, Jefferson's Fire Chief.

The owner of Smiley's says the fire may have started in the back of the bar shortly after it closed. He also said people forced out of their rooms have been relocated to other areas of the motel.