WATCH: Massive blaze rages at abandoned plant in Beatrice

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A large fire was caught on camera Friday night in Beatrice.

In a Facebook post about 10:10 p.m., Beatrice Fire & Rescue initially said the fire was contained to a small area at an abandoned manufacturing complex near Highway 77 and Perkins Street.

But in an update about 10:30 p.m., the department said the fire had spread.

UPDATE: Highway 77 in Beatrice closed after massive fire at EPA Superfund site

Around that time, the blaze was spotted on Channel 8’s Schoen’s Roofing camera.

Flames were shooting high into the air near Highway 77 and Perkins Street.

Firefighters arrived quickly and set up in the area as onlookers filmed cellphone videos.

Beatrice Fire & Rescue urged the public to avoid the area.

About 12:10 a.m. Saturday, crews appeared to have knocked out the fire, and no more flames were visible.

The fire happened at the Dempsters site, which played a big role in Beatrice history.

Windmills and other agricultural implements were made there since the late 1800s.

But the location has been abandoned since at least 2017, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and is now an EPA Superfund site.

As of February 2022, the building had many containers believed to hold hazardous substances, and the EPA also thought there were materials containing asbestos.

This is a developing story. Check with Channel 8 for the latest.