Susie C. Spear
News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
(TNS)
Jan. 26—EDEN — Firefighters remain at the scene of a massive fire that broke out at the former Spray Cotton Mill Wednesday night.
The fire engulfed structures at the historic mill shortly before 11 p.m., according to dispatches from Rockingham County emergency responders.
Cranes from fire engines could be seen in silhouette against raging orange flames as tankers rushed to the scene.
And firefighters, unable to access some portions of the fire with trucks, battled it on foot with hoses, according to radio dispatches.
Local firefighters called on any and every firefighter from Rockingham County to come to their aid as the blaze raged through at least one multi-story brick structure of the mill complex at 413 Church Street in Eden.
The mill, which consists of four buildings that total 200,000 square feet combined, sits along the Smith River in the historic Spray community of Eden.
It closed in 2015 after operating for 105 years due to fierce competition from cheaper yarn makers overseas.
It was unclear exactly how many of the mill's structures were ablaze late Wednesday night and the cause of the fire was still under investigation, authorities said.
By midnight, the fire had torched nearby trees and burned its way to the riverbanks, according to eyewitnesses.
In recent years, parts of the buildings, erected in 1896, 1898, 1967 and 1994, have been renovated and converted to offices and apartments. The buildings cover seven acres.
This is a developing story.
Ann Fish, columnist, contributed to this report.
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