WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A fast-moving fire broke out on the second floor of a century-old warehouse owned by the "Jack the Bike Man" nonprofit in West Palm Beach on Wednesday morning.
Located just off North Dixie Highway, the thick smoke from the fire forced a handful of people in the Flamingo Park neighborhood to evacuate and delayed the opening of nearby businesses.
WATCH BELOW: Crews battle fire at warehouse owned by Jack the Bike Man nonprofit
"Huge flames right next to my school is pretty scary," Will Allen, 11, told WPTV.
The student spoke to WPTV as he rode his bike to the nearby Greene School, which is located a block from the fire.
Will said he hopes the nonprofit will remain open and continue its mission of giving bikes to children like him.
"I just got my bike last Saturday, so it's definitely pretty special to me," the elementary school student said.
WATCH BELOW: Nonprofit's executive director vows to "move forward"
Alejandro Hernandez, the executive director of the Jack the Bike Man nonprofit, said "we just gotta continue to move forward."
"We'll be closed today. I don't know about tomorrow," Hernandez said.
He said the nonprofit was trying to raise money by selling the 100-year-old warehouse to continue its mission, which was started 20 years ago by the late Jack "The Bike Man" Hairston.
"He'd be crying if he saw this right now," Hernandez said. "That was his dream to get into that building, and it's definitely not going to happen, so it's tough."
The good news for the nonprofit is that the group did not store most of its bikes or other items of value in the warehouse.
However, Hernandez was concerned by news that fire officials said the weakened structure could collapse onto the adjacent Jack the Bike Man's headquarters.
Fire officials at the scene told WPTV that the building was so badly damaged that it could take weeks before they'll be able to determine the cause of the blaze.
