A major fire and an explosion occurred at a historic former mill complex in downtown Kent, Ohio, Friday morning, authorities said.
Black smoke was reported at the vacant site at about 8:45 a.m. Friday, Kent Fire Department Chief Bill Myers said. There was an explosion shortly after firefighters arrived on scene, Myers said.
Firefighters could only attack the blaze from the outside due to structural damage from the explosion, and Myers said extinguishing the fire could take until evening.
A video shared by Emily Curtis shows the large structure engulfed in flames as a column of black smoke rises into the sky.
A large piece of the top level of the structure collapses and falls multiple stories to the ground.
Multiple neighboring fire departments were called to assist, and the street was shut down to traffic. Some neighboring buildings were evacuated, and city residents were asked to conserve water while firefighters tackled the blaze. The cause of the fire is unknown.
The oldest buildings in the historic complex date back to the 1880s. It was purchased by the Star of the West Milling Co. in 1992, and it shut down completely in 2016.
