NOWATA, Okla. — The Nowata Public Works Authority Building is at a total loss after a fire Tuesday morning.

City officials said they learned the building near Seneca was on fire around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. By 2:15 a.m., the building and the site’s equipment were deemed a complete loss.

Nowata City Manager Melanie Ward said it was a call no one expected.

“There was a fire page that came across and it turns out, it was our city building. Our Public Works facility,” said Ward. “All I could think was ‘Oh my God, Oh my God.’”

According to Nowata Fire, the equipment lost to the fire included tractors, pickup trucks and other tools that service the city.

“It was a complete loss; it took the entire building,” Ward said.

Ward said they believe the fire started from an electrical issue, but it is still under investigation.

She said the building was a major facility for the City of Nowata.

“This facility is so important because they maintain all of our functions.All of our non-EMS or emergency functions,” Ward said.

Ward said Public Works handles nearly everything from water to sewers, parks, streets, and cemeteries.

“Right now, we’ve set up a temporary base camp at City Hall for the guys to come in so they can still check work orders,” Ward said.

She said they are grateful for the Water District, the Cherokee Nation, and many other community members offering heavy equipment or assistance.

“We’ll just pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and we’ll do what we have to do,” Ward said.

The city asked citizens to steer clear of the area while inspectors and officials investigated. Anyone who passes the taped perimeter of the facility will be considered trespassers and will be prosecuted.

The city said more information on the fire, its impact, and loss of equipment will be available later.