Firefighters battled a large fire at a vacant mill building in Naugatuck Monday night and demolition crews have begun to knock it down.
Officials said the fire started just after 6 p.m. Monday in the area of 200 Water St. and flames were found coming from the roof of the building, which is actually five separate buildings that are connected.
It's believed no one was inside because the building, which was once occupied by Lewis Engineering, has been vacant since around 2012. Aircraft parts were made there and the building was being used for some sort of storage, officials said Tuesday.
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They are trying to contact the owner, who is out of New Jersey.
Clouds of heavy smoke billowed from the building Monday night. The amount of smoke that carried out of the building was a concern, prompting officials to evacuate some nearby homes.
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The building partially collapsed during the fire and there are still hot spots, which prompted the decision to knock the building down.
A town building official said it's being torn down due to severe structural damage which could cause additional unexpected collapses.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was also monitoring the air quality in the area for asbestos and chemicals. Fire officials said none were found.
Some homes in the area had low water pressure as crews fought the fire.
Water Street remains closed between Cedar and Church streets as the demolition continues.
The daycare next door to the building was closed Tuesday.
"Building fires of this size are rare in Naugatuck," the fire department said on Facebook.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
