SEBRING, Ohio (WKBN) – On Thursday afternoon, firefighters in Sebring were still on the scene of a huge fire that destroyed an old factory, sending thick, black smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.
Crews responded to the old, closed Sebring Plastics plant on E. Georgia Avenue around 11 a.m. Thursday.
Before long, firefighters from three different counties were on the scene, trying to attack the stubborn fire from inside the empty building and through the roof.
One after another, tankers filled draft ponds, allowing aerial trucks to dump water from above on the flames and smoke.
Jessica Fotheringham, a neighbor, said something seemed wrong even hours before the fire was spotted.
“It actually smelled like burning wire to me. I just didn’t think to look, or see anything or call anyone.”
By the time she had returned from work, smoke could be seen for miles around.
Other neighbors said the old building didn’t have any working utilities, leaving them suspicious about how the fire started.
Fire investigators have not ruled on a specific cause.