A major fire broke out Friday afternoon near Stratford Avenue and Water Street in Bridgeport, officials say.
Rising smoke and flames were visible from the I-95, where holiday weekend traffic slowed to a crawl.
Firefighters described the 2 p.m. blaze as one of the biggest seen in the city this year. It took about five hours to contain. They say temperatures reached up to 900 degrees.
A smaller fire had been extinguished in the same location only an hour before.
The building has been vacant for more than a decade, according to officials. No one was inside.
Officials say the abandoned building has been targeted by arsonists before, but they have not yet determined the cause of this most recent fire.
No one was hurt in the blaze. The investigation is ongoing.