Dozens of firefighters from several communities have doused a massive fire at a former Athol toy manufacturer.

The blaze at the former N.D. Cass. Co. building was reported between 7 and 8 p.m. on Thursday and destroyed the equivalent of two city blocks.

Several nearby houses also suffered minor damage from the intense heat.

Athol Fire Chief Tom Lozier — who worked in the building as a teenager — says the focus quickly became protecting those homes.

N.D. Cass closed in 1997, and the three-story building was being used for storage. No one was inside at the time. A firefighter suffered a minor leg injury after slipping on the snow. (AP)