United States (South Carolina) - Fire officials today were still investigating the cause of a blaze at a warehouse behind an abandoned plant in Great Falls that caught fire last night and burned to the ground. Interim Fire Chief T.J. Martin did not know if any trespassing incidents had occurred in the past, whether the power was on or whether the warehouse was being used for storage. The warehouse is owned by the Chester County Forfeited Land Commission.

Dozens of firefighters were called to the abandoned plant around 10 p.m. Tuesday. The plant on Dearborn Street is known as Mill No. 2, and the storage warehouse behind it burned, firefighters said.

Eddie Murphy, director of Chester County Emergency Management, said no injuries had been reported.

Firefighters, who stopped the fire from spreading to the Mill No. 2, were on the scene this morning "doing mop-up," Martin said. Firefighters responded from Richburg, Rossville, Fort Lawn, Lando, West Chester, the city of Chester, Elgin in Lancaster County and Milford and Winnsboro in Fairfield County.

Firefighters used ladder trucks from Chester and Winnsboro. They kept Elgin's ladder truck on reserve but did not need it.

Martin said more than 200,000 gallons of water was used.

Due to a lack of water, firefighters had to ask the Chester County water district for more water pressure. Crews eventually had to shuttle water to the scene, but the warehouse was destroyed.

Three years ago, a fire at an abandoned textile mill in Great Falls burned for more than six days and forced the evacuation of more than half the town's residents.

That fire, which started June 6, 2006, at the J.P. Stevens Mill No. 3, produced dangerous smoke that contained hydrochloric acid.

Written by The Herald