Historic Sanford mill building goes up in smoke

The fire at its height drew some 100 firefighters from 20 communities to helped battle the blaze. (Courtesy image)

SANFORD - A historic Sanford mill building went up in flames Friday drawing more than 100 area firefighters tyring to douse the five-alarm blaze.

Firefighters from some 20 communities responded to assist in the effort, which included pouring water on nearby homes to prevent flying embers from sparking even more fires.

The fire at 13 River St. was first called in around 6:45 p.m. and burned for several hours keeping firefighters occupied well into the night and early today.

By 8 p.m. it was reported that several floors of the building had collapsed.

Several hundred onlookers gathered to watch the historic mill building burn, leaving only skeletal remains today.

Safety official had feared the building would collapse and kept bystanders well back to protect them from flying debris and embers.

The site of the fire, the former Stenton Trust Mills complex, was built almost 100 years ago and was part of a thriving textile industry that spawned similar mill complexes throughout New England.