Two firefighters were injured while battling a blaze at an east Saint John auto repair shop.

Firefighters responded to Hank the Mechanic on Rothesay Avenue at around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Chief Rob Nichol said the first arriving crews were met with heavy black smoke pouring from the building.

“Crews were able to knock the bulk of the fire down quickly, however had to spend several hours searching for fire extension and hot spots,” Nichol said in an email to our newsroom.

A large hole could be seen in the roof of the building, which is located between Holland Street and Broadway Avenue.

Nichol said while no civilians were hurt, two firefighters were taken to the hospital to be checked out.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are not known at this time.

A section of Rothesay Avenue was closed for several hours but has since reopened.