ALFRED — Firefighters from a dozen towns battled a stubborn tire fire at an auto salvage yard Tuesday as officials closed a section of Route 4 to traffic and called off classes at a local school.

The fire began shortly before 11 p.m. Monday at J&J Auto Salvage, igniting a pile of tires and several old cars, and was brought under control more than eight hours later, the York County Sheriff’s Department said.

One firefighter was taken to H.D. Goodall Hospital in Sanford for treatment of smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

As the fire began to ignite a dense stand of pines next to the salvage yard, fire officials recommended that nearby residents evacuate their homes. But residents elsewhere were encouraged to remain indoors to avoid respiratory problems from the toxic fumes.

Motorists were forced to make a detour around a 3- to 4-mile section of Route 4, and classes were canceled for the day at Alfred Elementary School.

Alfred Fire Chief James Gerrish said the fire started with a “human element,” but added he would probably never know the exact cause.

J&J Auto Salvage owner Jim Manning said neither he nor his employees were responsible for the fire that ignited a 20-foot-high pile of tires in an area 300 feet long and 100 feet wide.