Firefighters battled a large fire on Totoket Road in North Branford Monday.
Fire officials said crews responded around 5:30 p.m. to a tire fire burning in a large wooded area near 400 Totoket Road.
North Branford Fire Chief William Seward said there were hundreds of tires around the fire site.
"The flames were probably 60 to 70 feet in the air," he said.
The blaze sent heavy black smoke into the sky, which could be seen for miles.
Fire officials believe the previous owner of the property used to dump tires and other debris.
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"This used to be a farm years ago," said Deputy Fire Marshal John O'Brien. "Some of it is debris left over from the farm and the owner of the farm at that time used to transfer waste in and out."
O'Brien said that kind of dumping is illegal.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Totoket Road was closed for several hours while crews worked to extinguish the blaze.
