Ledyard — Firefighters didn’t clear the scene of a stubborn blaze at an unpermitted recycling center until about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, according to fire Chief Jonathan Mann.

The fire at 20 Lorenz Industrial Parkway, home to M J Sauchuk Inc., was first reported at 10:36 a.m. Thursday.

Mann said extinguishing the fire was complicated because of the sheer amount of cardboard and paper, some of which was compacted and strapped in bundles, inside the four-bay metal structure.

An employee of the company, using a payloader, assisted firefighters by hauling out piles of material so firefighters could hose down uncovered hot spots.

Mann said the origin and cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.

The structure that houses the business lacks a building permit, and town Zoning Officer Joseph Larkin issued a cease-and-desist order to M J Sauchuk in November of 2015 that is still in effect. The company applied for the permit for a metal building for truck maintenance in 2007, but received approval only for the foundation.

The town filed a motion for a temporary court injunction in November that would force M J Sauchuk to stop using the building, but has been working with the company to bring the building into compliance.