A massive fire started at a former flour mill in Downtown Kent Friday morning, according to fire department officials.
The historic Star of the West mill complex, Kent’s oldest building, caught fire Friday morning.
The department received calls around 8:45 a.m. reporting black smoke at the building, and an explosion reportedly occurred shortly after crews arrived on the scene.
Another Food Processing Plant Has Caught Fire – Historic Star of the West Flour Mill in Kent, Ohio. https://t.co/fV6dr0fkob pic.twitter.com/c63HoiLw9A
— Breaking Digest (@breaking_digest) December 2, 2022
It’s a sad day in Kent today. We’ll be closed for the rest of the day today . Our hearts are with the firefighters who are trying to contain this beast of a fire. pic.twitter.com/TesMshHbUS
— Scribbles Coffee (@ScribblesCoffee) December 2, 2022
Footage below:
🚨#BREAKING: Massive fire at a West Flour Mill plant
Right now multiple Firefighters are currently battling a extremely large fire at a flour mill plant in Kent Ohio the exact cause is currently unknown. Police say there are no reported injuries at this time pic.twitter.com/dzfPnyAD3Y
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 2, 2022
Another food production plant has caught fire. The West Flour Mill in Kent, Ohio. pic.twitter.com/oiJW1wXKv0
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 2, 2022
Nearly four hours later, flames continue to burn in the former Star of the West mill complex. @wkyc pic.twitter.com/vSMJ1Ozw93
— Marisa Saenz (@MarisaSaenzTV) December 2, 2022
— KentWired (@kentwired) December 2, 2022
WKYC 3News reported:
Firefighters from several northeast Ohio departments fought the flames all day – forcing water conservation across the area. It is expected that work on putting out the fire will continue into Saturday.
Bright flames were seen from across Kent, with dark, billowing smoke stretching for miles.
The back of the Star of the West flour mill was left charred.
First responders told 3News it all began just before 9 a.m. Kent fire officials say it’s unclear what caused the blaze.
What began as reports of smoke coming from the mill quickly evolved.
“The fire department’s been coming in all morning from Hudson, Stow, Munroe falls, Ravenna, and Tallmadge,” said Scott Budzar, owner of Scribbles Coffee. “So that just tells you the scale of things.”
Budzar’s shop is just feet away from where some of the biggest flames were seen.
“We’re just two buildings away from where the main fire is right here,” Budzar described.
Like many, Budzar was forced to shut down businesses today after being evacuated by the fire marshal.
“They evacuate to keep everybody safe and obviously to let the fire departments have the space to work and do what they need to do,” Budzar added.
WKSU added:
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.
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