No one was hurt in a major fire at a former flour mill in Downtown Kent Friday morning, according to fire department officials.
The former Star of the West Milling Co. facility is currently vacant and no evacuations took place, Kent Fire Chief Bill Myers told reporters at a press conference. The state fire marshal's office is now investigating the fire, and Myers hopes they're getting closer to finding the cause and origin.
The department received calls around 8:45 a.m. reporting black smoke at the building, Myers said, and an explosion occurred shortly after crews arrived on scene.
Firefighters could not enter the building because it was fully compromised by the explosion, Myers said.
"It's mostly exterior operations, and we hope to have this continuing on until finally all the fuel is burned out," Myers said.
The operation is expected to last until Saturday at least, Myers said, as the fire may continue to smolder.
"We're looking into a demolition company that will come in, help us get up real high to where we can get that burned material and other unburned materials down to where we can make a full extinguishment," Myers said.
Kent State University officials sent an alert at 9:30 a.m. that firefighters are battling a structure fire Downtown. People are advised to avoid the area, and there is "no threat to campus," according to the alert.
Pictures and videos tweeted by KentWired, the student-run campus news website, show the former Star of the West Milling Co. facility engulfed in flames.
— KentWired (@kentwired) December 2, 2022
The mill was established in Downtown Kent in 1879 by the Williams Brothers and was one of several mills that made Kent a thriving industrial city in its early history, according to Cleveland Historical.
It was the city's last fully functional mill until it ceased production in 2016. The historic building and tall grain silos became iconic pieces of the Kent skyline.
A local developer, The Tulips LLC, purchased the property in 2019. The building was vacant when the fire started, said Myers.
Kristie McMillen of Brimfield came to Kent this morning to deposit a check at the Huntington Bank across the street from the mill.
"It's a very sad day, because it was a historic building. And they're going to be here a long time," McMillen said. "These guys are working really hard, and they're not even hardly making a dent."
The Kent area is currently on a water alert due to the efforts to put out the fire.
"Reduce consumption as much as possible, because the flows we're using is taxing the water system," Myers said.
Most of the staff at nearby businesses have been able to return, Myers said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
