Firefighters Battle Massive Fire At Norton Mill

NORTON (CBS) – Firefighters from multiple towns responded to a massive fire at an old mill in Norton Wednesday afternoon. More than 50 firefighters worked to contain the fire to one section of the building.

Dave Paton lives across the street and was one of the first to notice there was a problem. "We bought this house right in front of it probably four or five years ago," Paton said. "The factory has been abandoned maybe two years now."

Their usually quiet neighbor, an abandoned fabric mill on Barrows Street, caught fire.

Norton Fire Chief Shawn Simmons said there were a "couple of water supply issues along the way."

There are no sprinklers in the old complex. The hydrants at the back of the building near the fire are disconnected and firefighters had to run long water lines.

"What is burning is the floor and structural contents," said Chief Simmons. "There's not a lot of material in the building."

Crews were able to keep the fire to one corner.

The Patons have noticed broken glass and doors over the past couple years. "It looks like people kind of go in there every now and then," Paton said.

Firefighters said no one was inside the mill at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.