Around four dozen firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire at a gun shop and shooting range in Stratford Monday.

The fire broke out at Stratford Guns & Ammo on Honeyspot Road around 6:15 p.m. Fire officials say it started at the roofline in the shooting range.

Officials say the owner and a handful of employees and customers were inside. They safely evacuated.

Because the shooting range is built with sound-proof material, officials say the walls were hard to breach. Crews faced some challenges getting in and out of the building.

"The fire was a deep-seated fire in the roof decking area," Chief Jermaine Atkinson said. "We had companies from Stratford and Bridgeport cutting the roof to get to the scene of the fire, provide ventilation and extinguish the fire."

Officials say the business was badly damaged. It opened up nearly two years ago during the pandemic.

"As with all our businesses, we're concerned about the economic impact it does have to them," Atkinson said. "We're doing our best to try to salvage what's in the business to help them become operational."

The owners spent Tuesday morning assessing the damage with the help of the town's Public Safety Department.

Public Safety Director Larry Ciccarelli said he wanted to make sure “sensitive inventory” such as the firearms and ammunition were secure.

Angel Villafane, who manages Maxi's General Auto Repairs across the street, witnessed the fire. He's hopeful the owners will re-open soon.

"It'll get back up and going," he said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.