North Stonington – A blaze that sent a plume of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles around destroyed a large storage building Thursday off Route 49. 

Firefighters reported no injuries in the fire, which was first reported about 3:45 p.m. at 19 Voluntown Road. 

North Stonington Fire Chief Charles Steinhart V said firefighters arrived to find the structure, which was 40 feet wide and 60 feet long, fully engulfed in flames. 

Multiple area fire departments responded to the blaze, including departments from North Stonington, Old Mystic, Wequetequock, Pawcatuck, Ashaway, R.I., and Westerly. Firefighters initially used water from arriving tankers to fight the fire and drafted water from the nearby Shunock Brook. 

The fire was “knocked down” within about half an hour, with only minor damage to the exterior of a residence about 15 feet away from the blaze, Steinhart said. 

Voluntown Road was closed to all traffic in the area of the fire. Steinhart said he expected firefighters to remain at the scene into the evening. 

It was unclear what was inside the storage building that burned. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire marshal’s office.