On Friday morning, Kent State issued an advisory to the community about a fire that erupted at the former Star of the West mill in downtown Kent. Though the smoke can be seen from a distance, there is no danger to the Kent Campus as the fire is contained to downtown.
The Kent Fire Department is on the scene with help from multiple area fire departments to battle the blaze. Area businesses have been evacuated or closed for the day. Firefighters have blocked off the streets surrounding the mill, and the university is encouraging the community to stay away from downtown.
Fire crews worked together to battle the blaze, as captured by this video from Jon Jivan, Kent State's Division of University Communications and Marketing:
11:53 a.m. Update:
The following message has been issued by the City of Kent:
Due to a large commercial fire downtown, the City of Kent is requesting that you limit water usage to essential use only, so that we can conserve water for firefighting efforts.
The city is doing their best to keep up with the water demand, but we need everyone to reduce usage to help keep our supply available for firefighting efforts.
You will be notified when the conservation request has been lifted. There is no threat to the Kent Campus as all classes and operations are continuing as scheduled.
Photo Courtesy: Teddy Mansfield