Crews from more than a dozen fire departments are responding to a fire on Bushnell Hollow Road in Baltic.
Officials said the fire broke out at Building 10 of the abandoned Baltic Mills Complex.
Sprague First Selectman Cathy Osten confirmed that everyone was safe at this time. Osten said the building was slated for demolition, and there were two contractors in the building when the fire broke out. Osten said it appears one of the contractors was using a tool that caused sparks which may have led to the fire. The fire marshal is on scene investigating.
Baltic Fire Chief Bob Tardiff said 80 to 100 firefighters responded to battle the blaze. One firefighter is being evaluated for chest pains. No injuries have been reported.
Building 10, which was what was left from a previous fire in 1999, is destroyed.
The fire has also spread to some other buildings 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.
Officials said dry weather and wind are hampering firefighting efforts.
Fire officials at the scene said crews from 19 departments are battling 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 have also responded.
The smoke was so heavy it appeared on weather radar.
Traffic will be closed in the area for hours, possibly all night.
Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut
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