A hundred firefighters from Seymour and surrounding towns quickly put down a fierce blaze that broke out at 4:20 p.m. in the former Housatonic Wire Co. on River Street.
Nobody was in the building at the time. No firefighters were injured.
Firefighters put down the flames by 5:05 p.m.
By 6:20 p.m., the scene appeared to be under control as several ladders trucks pumped water through the three story brick building, which apparently lost its roof in the blaze.
Damage to the building appeared to be extensive.
There were no injuries. A crowd of hundreds lined both sides of River Street to watch. Traffic along Route 67 was backed up for several blocks.
Some witnesses reported there had been explosion before the fire broke out, but firefighters rebuffed that as a rumor and said adamantly there had been no explosion.
Smoke from the vacant factory at 109 River Street could be seen as far as Milford.
The building has been empty several years while developers hashed over plans to redevelop the four-acre property, which includes a scenic waterfall. It is directly across the street from the Naugatuck River, about a block north of the landmark town waterfalls.
“We don’t know how it started, we are looking into that. Nobody was in the building at the time,” said Fire Commissioner Gene Atkas, who spoke to reporters at 6:30 p.m.
Workers were in the building earlier in the day but it was unclear if they were using torches or heat devices.
Debris from the fire was a problem. Some trees in the adjacent Trinity Cemetery were seen burning, witnesses said. Hot chunks of ash floated into neighboring yards.
Fire officials were calling on neighbors to be observant of flying ash.
