Canada (Manitoba) - A stubborn industrial fire in Winnipeg, Manitoba, had more than 100 firefighters working more than 12 hours to contain it, officials said Thursday. The blaze at Gateway Industries was reported at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday night on the 17-acre site that houses a roofing paper mill and recycling facilities for chemicals including specialty cleaners, agricultural chemicals and lubricants, the Winnipeg Free Press reported.

No injuries were reported and preliminary damage estimates were placed at $1.5 million, fire officials said.

Shifting winds made the blaze difficult to contain, Fire Capt. Claude Provencal said Thursday.

Wednesday night, area residents reported hearing several explosions. Police evacuated homes nearest the industrial site and halted area traffic.

Firefighters also called in electric utility crews to disable power lines that began sparking, the report said.

Company owner Sheldon Blank told the newspaper he believes the fire was in the paper mill area and that none of the losses were insured.

The official cause of the fire had not been determined.

Written by United Press International