COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) -- A fire has destroyed a Middle Tennessee funeral home, forcing workers to remove tarpaulin-covered bodies as the flames advanced.

The Daily Herald reported the fire at the Williams Funeral Home was discovered about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Columbia Fire Chief Lee Bergeron said the fire broke out in and around the building exhaust system. He was unsure whether the crematory was on the side of the structure where the fire started.

Bergeron said workers were still inside the funeral home when the fire broke out and a firefighter was there with his family making funeral arrangements for his mother. The chief said the first fire engines were at the scene within three minutes of the alarm, but the fire spread quickly.

More than 50 firefighters from the city department, the Maury County Fire Department and Mynders Volunteer Fire Department fought the fire into the night.

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Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.columbiadailyherald.com