Firefighters battle blaze at century-old flour mill

Firefighters are working to contain a raging fire at a century-old flour mill in Freeport. Stearns County sheriff's officials say the fire at the Swany White flour mill started some time late Tuesday afternoon. No injuries have been reported.

While firefighters battled the blaze, residents of the small central Minnesota town lined the street to watch.

Shannon Ritter watched from a diner across the street as flames wrapped around the building. She said the mill was important to Freeport.

"The place is historical. I mean, it's very well known," Ritter said. "It's one of the only flour mills in the country basically that is family-owned and still running in a small town. It's going to be a big loss."

The mill has operated in Freeport since 1903. The town's website says the mill processes several kinds of flour and whole grains using some of the original equipment.

The owners of the mill could not be reached for comment.