UPDATE: Accidental Fire Causes Roof To Partially Collapse At Rt. 17 Wendy's

A two-alarm blaze Thursday afternoon caused the roof of a Wendy’s restaurant on Route 17 to partially collapse, authorities said.

Rutherford Fire Chief Craig Scott said the fire was an accident; a Wendy’s maintenance employee working on the building’s roof caused the fire.

The fire burned through part of the roof, causing part of an HVAC unit to fall into the building, Scott told NorthJersey.com.

The restaurant reportedly caught fire at 2:45 p.m. and the building was evacuated, NorthJersey.com; the fire reportedly started in the ceiling.

Firefighters opened the roof and vented smoke but the the fire continued to spread; firefighters from Rutherford and there other area towns battled the two-alarm blaze, the website reported.

Heavy smoke could be seen billowing from and flames coming through the roof, according to the website.