SAN DIEGO — Several businesses were damaged Wednesday after a fire broke out at a strip mall in the Webster neighborhood, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.

The blaze started shortly after 4 a.m. at a single-story strip mall located at 1714 Euclid Ave.

The fire was upgraded to a second alarm response at 4:18 a.m., then upgraded again to a third alarm response at 4:46 a.m., prompting firefighters to exit the building and take a defensive strategy, SDFD said.

“The structures were divided by a firewall and we determined that it was safe to enter part of it,” said SDFD Deputy Fire Chief Brian Raines. “But then firefighters were evacuated and that’s when we put the the ladder pipes in play so that we can apply water without putting firefighters in danger”

According to SDFD’s newsworthy incident page, the fire was believed to have started in a dumpster outside one of the businesses before spreading to the building. About half of the businesses had been impacted by the fire.

Video captured at the scene showed large flames burning through the roof of several building as crews worked to get the flames under control.

“One of the construction features in this building is that it has a common attic so the fire rapidly spread through the attic and that’s what caused damage to most of the businesses,” Raines said.

By 5:18 a.m. conditions had began to improve and some crews had been released from the scene.

No one was inside any of the businesses when the fire began and there have been no reported injuries so far, SDFD said.

Euclid Ave. will be closed between Federal Blvd. and Elm St. until further notice as crews mop up the damage and continue their investigation. SDFD asked that the area be avoided.

SDFD’s metro arson strike team has been called to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire. The amount of damage to the businesses has not yet been determined.