MISHAWAKA, Ind. --  Pete Hallam could not believe his eyes when he saw the old R.M.G. factory building up in flames.

“It was startling.  I got a call from my mother-in-law who lives over here so we came over here to check on her and then we came down here and it was really blazing then,” said Pete Hallam.

Hallam worked in the factory for 29 years as a quality control manager. He retired a few years back, but never expected this building to burn to the ground. 

People who saw the flames were shocked too.

“I came back over and the walls collapsed,” said Laura Nelson.

The fire started just before 6 p.m. Monday.

“It was daylight when it started,” said Nelson.

The Salvation Army stopped by to offer firefighters food and coffee while fighting the fire.

“They are expending a lot of energy and they need to replenish that,” said Salvation Army worker Mark Rzepnicki.

Hallam says he is glad firefighters are working so hard to put out the flames, but he will sure miss driving by that old R.M.G. factory every day.

“It is bittersweet to see it like this with all the memories and all the people you knew that went through there and now to see it like this,” said Hallam.