The Merritt Fire Rescue Department says an explosion was likely not the cause of a fire that broke out at the Tolko mill site Wednesday.

"The fire appeared to be in the main mill and is believed to have started in a compressor room," Merritt RCMP Const. Tracy Dunsmore reported in a statement Wednesday night.

She said the fire department had contained the fire about an hour after it was first reported.

"No explosions were reported or believed to have been the cause of the fire."

Chief Dave Tomkinson told the News Thursday morning that the department was first called to the Tolko site, at the south end of Voght Street, at 8:49 p.m. Firefighters arrived on scene two minutes later.

According to Dunsmore, the Merritt Fire Rescue Department called the police to assist in the fire at 9 p.m.

"That's fairly standard to…ensure any crowds don't encumber the firefighters," explained Tomkinson.

He said the fire spread through "void wall spaces" in the mill's interior up to its fourth level but was contained to an exterior wall and did not escape the building.

The 22 firefighters on scene started to leave at close to 1 a.m. Thursday.

No injuries were reported to either the fire department or RCMP.

Tomkinson said the fire department would investigate the fire's cause today and assess the damage to the building.