By Colin McEwen

Record-Courier staff writer

BRIMFIELD -- Huge plumes of thick black smoke could be seen for miles in a cloudless sky Saturday night as firefighters from three counties battled a blaze at Puritan Systems at 1161 Holiday Drive.

No injuries were reported, but residents from nearby homes were evacuated and relocated to Brimfield Elementary School on S.R. 43 because of the threat of the fire spreading and the presence of caustic nitrogen tanks near the flames.

Puritan Systems is a scrap rubber reduction plant. Holiday Drive is located near the intersection of S.R. 43 and Interstate 76.

Firefighters from approximately 10 fire departments responded shortly before 8 p.m., said Brimfield Police Chief David Blough, as water tanker trucks shuttled behind him, back and forth from the staging area on the other side of S.R. 76.

He said workers at Purtian Systems left the premises around 3:30 p.m., and there was no indication of exactly how the fire began.

"I haven't seen a fire of this size before in Brimfield," said Blough, adding firefighters were fighting the fire in a defensive position to prevent the blaze from spreading. "When firefighters arrived the fire was fully involved."

He said that when firefighters arrived, not only was the 25,000-square-foot building engulfed in flames, but so were two vehicles parked near the building.

Traffic from nearby S.R. 76 and S.R. 43 was backed up -- at times for more than a mile -- as gawkers slowed down for a peek.

The smell of burning rubber filled the cool evening air when the westerly winds briefly shifted direction. Smoke from the blaze reportedly could be seen as far away as Barberton and Palmyra.

Bystanders gathered on the porch of the closed America's Best Value Inn and Suites adjacent to Puritan Systems to catch a better view.

Some took photos with their camera phones, others huddled on the steps to watch.

Robert Kannal, who represents the owners of the inn, warned onlookers they would be responsible for their own safety while they watched.

He said he had witnessed five to seven fires at the plant this year, "but this is the big one."

Blough expected evacuees from nearby condominiums to return to their homes within four hours, but the American Red Cross did respond with assistance.

Residents and businesses were alerted with the township's new Code Red -- a telephone emergency alert system.

Dick Wilson of Akron drove from his Akron home with his wife to view the blaze up close. He spotted the huge plumes of smoke miles away in Firestone Park.

"There wasn't a cloud in the sky," he said. "We looked up and knew that something was seriously on fire."

The smoke clouds also could be seen from the other direction on the east side of Ravenna.

Among the dozens of emergency vehicles responding from countless departments, were Brimfield, Ravenna, Ravenna Township, Rootstown, Kent, Suffield, Hartville, Tallmadge, Edinburg and Streetsboro.

The Portage County Sheriff's Department responded to provide security, as did police from Kent State University and Brimfield.

"From a police standpoint, we were just supporting the fire departments," said Blough.

Reporter Diane Smith contributed to this report.