A Lynchburg landmark is gone!

The Collector's Lair, housed in the old Continental Hobby Center on Fort Avenue, is no more as flames engulfed the building sending a tall tower of smoke into the sky in the 6000 Block of Fort Avenue in Lynchburg on Saturday morning.

The current owner, James Lair, said he was still inside the building when the fire started shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday. He called 911 and stood outside in despair...

"You know you've been doing this for 25 years and pretty much it's an everyday thing. So... all of a sudden it's like, 'Well I guess I don't have anything to do tomorrow,'" Lair told WSET.

Fire officials said the building will be demolished. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but at least one person blames faulty wiring.

Employees and customers from years gone by stopped in the parking lot and recalled the history of the hobby center. Some elaborated on the slot car races, while others remembered the model rocket kits that became such a part of their youth. One customer even remembered when the building's basement served as a Fallout Shelter.

It's always sad to see buildings that held such fond memories for so many, including us, reduced to rubble.