Large fire erupts in Newport with billowing smoke seen miles away

A large fire with billowing smoke seen miles away burned Wednesday afternoon near a major highway in Newport, officials said.

A vehicle caught fire near a building and ignited it shortly after 2 p.m. in a somewhat industrial area of the city just east of Hwy. 10 near the intersection of 9th Avenue and Tibbetts Place, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.

There have been no reports of injuries, the Sheriff’s Office said, and the building on fire had yet to be disclosed by officials by early Wednesday evening.

Several fire crews were on the scene to extinguish the flames, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Numerous photos of the smoky blaze were posted on social media, with one person noting that his picture was taken from St. Paul.