CASSOPOLIS — A fire occurred about 8 a.m. Sunday at the Edward Lowe Foundation headquarters at Big Rock Valley in Penn Township near Cassopolis.

Firefighters from multiple departments remained at the smoking scene at 3 p.m.

“It’s devastating,” said one employee who asked not to be identified. “The history of Ed Lowe just went up in flames.”

Employees reportedly formed a “chain gang” trying to rescue smoldering documents and carry them to safety.

The foundation, named for the Kitty Litter founder, provides research, recognition and educational programs to help both second-stage companies and organizations that support these entrepreneurs.

Second-stage growth entrepreneurs have 10 to 99 employees and annual revenue ranging from $1 million to $50 million.

From 2007 to 2009 the foundation interacted with more than 180 communities in 41 states.

Big Rock Valley encompasses 2,600 acres and contains more than 70 facilities, including a fitness center for guests and staff, an ecolab for researchers and an information center.

Flames which raced through executive offices did not endanger such other Big Rock Valley icons as Billieville and the Tower of Tomorrow, which are a good distance away in the forest.

Some historical memorabilia survives in the information center at the front gate on Decatur Road.

Former President and Chief Operating Officer Dan Wyant, who recently became Department of Environmental Quality director in Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration, was said to be on the scene from East Lansing.