The fire in Camden broke out around 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the vacant Reliable Tire Co. factory building and burned fiercely for several hours. The company moved out several years ago, according to a report on Philadelphia's WPVI-TV.
The blaze was declared under control around 9 p.m. At least three firefighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Scores of firefighters from Camden and surrounding communities battled the blaze in near 100-degree temperatures. Smoke and flames were visible from Philadelphia and over a wide area of its New Jersey suburbs.
About half a dozen nearby homes were damaged, but no residents were reported injured. Camden County emergency management officials brought in buses Thursday evening to take residents to shelters.
Flames consumed the L-shaped brick factory building, which occupies nearly a full city block. By 7 p.m., the flames and heavy black smoke had subsided, although lighter gray smoke continued to pour from the building.
Firefighters were forced to take frequent breaks, shedding their bunker coats, gulping down bottles of water and using water-soaked towels on their necks to cool down from the intense heat.
A Camden Fire Department dispatcher said officials who were authorized to give information remained at the scene Thursday evening and were not available to comment.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
