Akron firefighters put out blaze at former rubber industrial complex Thursday

A former rubber industrial building in South Akron caught fire Thursday, according to the Akron Fire Department.

Crews responded to the structure fire at 917 Sweitzer Ave. at about 6:02 p.m., discovering black smoke coming from the upper windows and vents upon arrival. Firefighters had to initially battle the blaze from the exterior of the vacant industrial complex as the building was predetermined to be unsafe to enter, Akron Fire Lt. Joel Price said in a release.

Once a second-alarm was declared, multiple fire companies came to assist Akron Fire in completely extinguishing the blaze.

There were no injuries reported, Price said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The building's address is that of the former National Rubber Machinery Co., which dated back to the 1940s. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was the address of the Akron Rubber & Machine Co.

Mark J. Price contributed to this report.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron firefighters put out blaze at former rubber industrial complex Thursday