Bracebridge fire crews battled a blaze at Rich Hill Candles & Gifts on Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters arrived on scene just before noon where fire officials say smoke was billowing from the roof.

“When we arrived we did an interior attack,” said Deputy Fire Chief Jared Cayley. “Our crews were beat back (because) the fire was in different spots from what we could tell at this point. And we had to go to the defensive until we found it safe enough to go back in and aggressively attack the fire again to knock it down.”

On the inside, firefighters were challenged with the fire as candles and scented oils continued to ignite, making it hard to keep the fire under control.

“It’s probably one of the most stubborn fires I’ve seen in a long time,” says Cayley. “My firefighters are really tired today.”

In order to fight the fire, crews used thermal imaging cameras to find the fire and foam to suppress the flames.

Crews were able to contain the fire to the Rich Hill portion of the building. The cause and the extent of the damage to the building is still under investigation.

Rich Hill Candles & Gifts has been in business in Bracebridge for more than 40 years.