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WELLFORD, S.C. --
It took 6 million gallons of water and the better part of two days, but fire officials said that a huge fire at a mill in Wellford is now under control.
Officials said that firefighters from 28 different crews worked to put out the stubborn fire that destroyed a large portion of the former Jackson Mill.
Some were still there Tuesday morning, continuing to douse hot spots.
After burning most of the day Sunday and smoldering most of Sunday night, the blaze had reignited Monday afternoon, after demolition crews pulled down exterior walls, allowing air to get to soldering parts of the interior.
Volunteers offered their help to the firefighters, some of whom battled the fire for more than 36 hours.
At nearby Jackson Baptist Church, donations kept rolling in. A list shows more than 24 businesses and organizations that donated everything from ice to ice tea.
The first calls about the fire came in at about 5:35 a.m. on Sunday.
The blaze collapsed a large portion of the sprawling building's roof, gutted the interior and sent a plume of thick smoke high into the air.
Most of the building is a total loss, fire officials said. But firefighters did manage to save about a third of the structure, which includes two warehouses at corner of Hawkins and Church street.
Those two warehouses are leased by Martex Fibers and United Cloth
Fire officials said that the next task is to remove debris and put out any hot spots underneath it.
Investigators said that the exact cause of this fire may never be determined.
Among the businesses damaged by the fire is Farley Textiles. About 20 people worked at the facility, company president Charles Southers told WYFF News 4.
Southers said that the facility was closed for the July 4 week and that he did not know what happened or how the fire might have started.
The fire has spread through several parts of the mill and has now destroyed at least two buildings.
According to the company's Web site, Farley Textile Knits primarily buys and sells textile products like yarns, knit fabrics, woven fabrics and T-shirts.
Firefighters from Startex, Duncan, North Spartanburg, Tiger River, Croft and Inman fire departments were using ladder trucks and long-range nozzles to try to douse the flames.
In the early stages of the firefighting effort, some residents living near the mill were asked to temporarily evacuate as emergency workers went door-to-door to alert residents.
Officials said that one firefighter was taken to the hospital for treatment of a wrist injury. Several firefighters had to be treated for heat exhaustion.
Jackson Mill closed in 1997, costing 350 workers their jobs.
News 4 has learned that this is the third year in a row that there are been some sort of fire at the mill during the week of the Independence Day holiday, but neither of the other fires was serious.
