MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - An electrical fire forced the closure of Ace Boxing Club, a boxing gym that has served the neighborhood for more than 60 years.

Frank Porter CBS 58

Firefighters tore through part of the building to stop the fire.

The owner, Frank Porter, said the first sign of trouble was a smell.

“The smoke detector went off, and they were like, 'Mr. Porter there’s smoke coming from behind the smoke detector there,'” Porter said.

Porter said he grabbed a fire extinguisher, but more smoke poured out. He then called the fire department. Firefighters tore down a wall to reach the flames.

“I'm like oh my God how am I going to get it boarded up,” Porter said.

That concern was quickly answered by Mike Keller, whose son trains at Ace Boxing Club.

Keller works at Infinity Exteriors and said he stepped in to help secure the building.

Ace Boxing Club CBS 58

“I jumped in my company truck, grabbed some of our materials, came over and boarded the place up so we could keep it safe for the evening,” Keller said.

The gym had already been vulnerable after a break-in earlier this winter. Keller said closing up the building was critical.

“We needed to get the building closed up so nobody could just walk in and take whatever they wanted,” he said.

Porter said noticing the smell may have saved the gym from total destruction.

Ace Boxing Club CBS 58

“If I didn’t smell that smell this place would be gone today,” Porter said.

Ace Boxing Club was founded in 1960 and has long focused on helping at-risk youth in the community. For the athletes who train there, the gym is more than just a place to work out.

“It’s like a home to me so when I saw it like that it really hurt my heart,” said Ismael Hernandez, who trains at the club.

The fire caused damage that will require new wiring, a new door and other repairs costing more than $6,000.

The gym operates as a nonprofit and relies entirely on donations, which makes the cost difficult to absorb.

“It hurts because we don’t have that financial backing because we’re strapped for money,” said Jason Janiszewski.

Porter said the gym is accepting donations online and plans to launch a GoFundMe soon to help cover the repairs and reopen.

“The faster you guys donate the faster the athletes and the intercity kids can come back to a place they love the most,” Porter said.