Fire crews battled a large fire in a former factory near downtown Akron for hours on Wednesday night.
A three-story building that was once home to a rubber mat business caught fire at the dead-end of Beech Street, near the Courtyard by Marriott Akron Downtown and the Interbelt Nite Club around 7:30 p.m.
The flames were so large they could be seen by motorists on the All-America Bridge and state Route 8.
The glow and smoke from the fire could be seen for miles.
Akron fire officials say there was heavy smoke and flames already coming from the building and its roof by the time the first crews arrived on the scene.
A call went out for more firefighters to rush to the scene of the large fire.
Howard Street was closed off at Martin Luther King Boulevard so crews could work to extinguish the fire.
Authorities say it does not appear that any toxic chemicals were stored inside of the building.
The flames, fire officials say, were fueled by the structure’s wood floor and other combustible material inside.