Fire at Arlington egg processing plant causes $1.5 million damage

Published 6:56 pm Wednesday, November 10, 2010

ARLINGTON — A roof project went awry in Arlington Wednesday afternoon, causing a smoky fire that left $1.5 million in damage and one firefighter injured.

The three-alarm fire broke out just before 2 p.m. at the National Food Corporation egg processing plant, officials said. The 60,000-square-foot plant is located at 16900 51st Ave. NE in Arlington.

When Arlington firefighters entered the building, hot tar dripped on one of them, said Chris Badger, spokeswoman for the Arlington Fire Department. The firefighter, who is in his mid-30s, suffered minor first- and second-degree burns but is expected to be OK. No other injuries were reported.

About 100 people were working at the plant when the fire broke out, Badger said. They left the building as heavy smoke filled the sky.

Firefighting teams from all over north county poured in to help, Badger said. A hazardous materials team was called because of chemicals stored at the plant, but the fire didn’t touch the chemicals.

The fire was primarily limited to the upper floors, she said.

No chickens were affected by the fire, officials said.

About 4 p.m., the blaze was declared extinguished but was expected to smolder for hours. Soft white smoke filled the air, barely visible from I-5. A ladder truck periodically poured water on the building.

The road was expected to stay closed much of Wednesday night, but firefighters were pausing their work to let people who live in the neighborhood return to their homes.

The fire drew attention from the curious and concerned. Neighbors watched from driveways and nearby businesses.

Jose Samayoa, 21, lives nearby and said he worked at the plant until about five months ago. He said he was concerned for friends still employed by the company.

He watched the fire with a friend for more than two hours.

“It’s sad,” he said.

Shyann Young, 13, of Marysville, joined her friends after dance class to watch the firefighting efforts. They had to take a detour to class because of the smoke and traffic, she said.

“Our friends texted us that there was a huge fire,” she said. “We were just kind of scared. It was so close to our studio.”

The National Food Corporation is an Everett-based producer of eggs and egg products, including organic and cage-free eggs. It distributes throughout the western United States, according to its website.

The plant was expected to remain closed Thursday, Badger said.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com