Fire destroys landmark paper company factory in southwestern Ohio

HAMILTON, Ohio — A fire that destroyed a vacant landmark building in a southwestern Ohio community this week is considered suspicious because the building had no utilities, officials said Thursday.

The fire at the former Beckett Paper Company building in Hamilton, a Cincinnati suburb, was reported around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The building was completely engulfed in flames when emergency responders arrived a short time later, and the blaze spewed a thick, black smoke that could be seen for several miles.

No injuries were reported in the fire, which remains under investigation.

Crews worked through the overnight hours to demolish what was left of the charred building, which opened in 1848 but had been vacant since 2011.