Residents of tiny Pelee Island in Lake Erie were reeling Tuesday from a fire that destroyed their only grocery store, gas station, post office and hardware store on Monday.

The small businesses were part of the Pelee Island Co-op, which had stood on the north end of the island since 1956 and was a focal point of the Ontario community.

"It's kind of like our only outpost," island resident Matthew Costello told the Windsor Star. "The whole community's reeling."

A co-op employee heading to work at 6 a.m. Monday discovered the fire, which had been burning overnight and was smouldering.

Volunteer firefighters were able to save fuel tanks at the co-op to prevent further damage.

There were no injuries in the fire, said Pelee Island Mayor Rick Masse.

The cause and a damage estimate have not yet been determined.

The loss of the co-op has left island residents strapped for supplies. After a meeting on Monday, Terry Hamill, the co-op board president, said necessities should be available in the next few days at a temporary location.

The island, which is Canada's southernmost inhabited area, is connected to the mainland by plane and ferry.

It has about 300 year-round residents. That surges to 1,500 people in the summer months as tourists flock to the area's vineyards and beaches.