Flashbacks Cafe, which has been a fixture at Fourth and Main streets for many years, was engulfed in flames last week.

Firefighters responded a bit before 5 p.m. Friday. Crews found heavy fire and smoke inside the restaurant, according to a release from the Tonganoxie City Fire Department.

The fire was contained to the restaurant, but loss was estimated at $450,000.

A firefighter sustained minor injuries as crews battled the fire, according to the release. No one was at the restaurant when the fire broke out. Local residents lined Fourth Street looking on as flames and smoke erupted from the beloved dining spot.

Owners Charlie and Debi Conrad were not at the restaurant when the fire broke out. As news of the tragedy spread, community members responded. What had been a downtown fixture for so many years has drawn attention from an array of Kansas City media outlets.

A GoFundMe page, Help Our Family Recover After Flashbacks Fire, has raised more than $20,000 as nearly 197 donations have come in since the page was established.

The gathering spot for breakfast or lunch was full of memories, whether it was the local high school sports photos and pieces of history adorning the walls or the meet ups of friends, family, teammates, colleagues and more through the years.

The event also was a topic at Monday’s Tonganoxie USD 464 school board meeting. Superintendent Loren Feldkamp spoke about the tragedy during the regular meeting.

“We lost a real treasure,” Feldkamp said. “There was a lot of nostalgia and memorabilia in that building.”

Feldkamp noted that plans were in the works to have a benefit soup supper during the upcoming Tonganoxie Invitational Tournament later this month to also help raise funds for the family.

Several agencies provided mutual aid for Friday’s blaze in downtown Tonganoxie.

Joining Tonganoxie City Fire and Police departments on scene were Tonganoxie and Stranger township fire departments, as well as District 2 Fire Department and the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office.