A fire this morning destroyed a factory owned by a popular bakery in Mount Vernon.

Fire officials say flames broke out at the Artuso Pastry Foods Corporation factory on South 12th Avenue at around 7 a.m. 

Employees tell News 12 they smelled smoke after they turned on the oven burners at around 6:30 a.m. They tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers, but were unsuccessful. No employee injuries have been reported.

Firefighters say the flames were difficult to extinguish because of the amount of flammable material inside the factory. They say the fire got so intense at one point that they had to leave the factory and fight the flames from outside.

There was a partial roof collapse, and flames could be seen shooting through the top of the building. Crews from the Bronx were called in to help. Firefighters contained the fire and prevented it from spreading to adjacent buildings.

They say they had a slight problem with water pressure while putting out the blaze. There were reportedly a few water main breaks in Mount Vernon over the weekend. New York City provided water from its water main to help put the fire out.

Three firefighters were taken to the hospital with injuries.

An Artuso employee says this is the busiest time of the year for that factory since it produces baked goods that are sent all over the country for the holiday season. Business at Artuso's retail locations in Mamaroneck and the Bronx are not affected.

There is no word yet on how the fire started.