Crews from more than a dozen fire departments were called to the Baltic section of Sprague Monday afternoon after a massive fire broke out at an abandoned mill building on Bushnell Hollow Road and some firefighters are returning Tuesday after the fire rekindled.
Officials said the fire broke out at Building 10 of the abandoned Baltic Mills Complex Monday.
Sprague First Selectman Cathy Osten said that everyone was safe.
The building was slated for demolition and there were two contractors in the building when the fire broke out, she said.
Osten said it appears one of the contractors was using a tool that caused sparks, which might have led to the fire. The fire marshal is investigating.
Abandoned Baltic Mill Ravaged by Fire
Baltic Fire Chief Bob Tardiff said 80 to 100 firefighters responded to battle the blaze. One firefighter was being evaluated for chest pains. No injuries were reported.
Building 10, which was what was left from a previous fire in 1999, is destroyed.
The fire also spread to some other structures and brush in the area. At one point crews had to contain a four-acre brush fire started by the wind blowing embers all over, Tardiff said.
Local
Officials said dry weather and wind hampered firefighting efforts.
Fire officials at the scene said crews from 21 departments responded to the fire, including Baltic, Lisbon, Scotland, Canterbury, Jewett City, Franklin, Atwood Hose in Plainfield as well as Occum, Yantic in Norwich and Taftville, which are all in Norwich.
Crews from Griswold, Bozrah, East Great Plains, Lebanon, Windham Center, Plainfield, Willimantic and the city of Norwich also responded.
The smoke was so heavy it appeared on weather radar.
Roads in the area were closed for hours.
Firefighters from Baltic and Lisbon returned to the site later Tuesday morning to wet down the scene after the fire rekindled.
