TIETON – The president of a fruit-packing company here vowed to rebuild after a fire caused an estimated $25 million in damages, while firefighters to the north continued to battle a fast-moving wildfire that threatened hundreds of homes.
The high winds that had pushed the Fischer fire, about 20 miles northwest of Wenatchee, into dry brush and grass died down slightly Wednesday, a day after the fire jumped one canyon, destroyed one home and damaged another residence and a shed.
The blaze was estimated at 11,464 acres. Residents in two canyons to the north and west were allowed to return home early Wednesday after the fire moved away from that area, said Robin DeMario, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman.
Firefighters were working to protect structures in the remaining evacuated canyons as the fire burned to the east. At least 160 homes were under a mandatory evacuation notice, said fire information officer John Bearer.
Hundreds of additional residents remained on notice they might have to leave if the fire grew.
Smoke from the fire forced crews to temporarily close U.S. 2 between Cashmere and Dryden, DeMario said.
Gov. Gary Locke announced plans to visit the fire command center in Leavenworth today.
More than 1,500 firefighters were assigned to the human-caused blaze, which has been burning since Aug. 8 on private, state and national land.
In Tieton, near Yakima, a fire that burned three fruit warehouses, three ammonia tanks and a propane tank remained under investigation Wednesday.
The fire started about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday in cardboard packaging stored next to CPC International Apple Co. The fire forced the evacuation of 150 people when high winds carried embers a mile away, pushing flames into the grass.
A couple of people who had difficulty breathing as a result of the smoke sought medical attention, said Fire Chief Gary Weaver of the Yakima County fire district in Tieton.
Deanna Latham, whose house is across the street from one of the warehouses, voluntarily left her home when she saw the flames Tuesday night. The fire threatened both her home and her livelihood: Latham has worked as a secretary for CPC International for seven years.
“It was scary. We were just hoping the wind didn’t shift,” she said. “If the wind had been blowing a different direction, it could have been a lot worse – for the whole town.”
Water from two hoses continued to pour onto the roof of one smoldering warehouse Wednesday, and firefighters were mopping up hot spots in the grass and brush.
Damage was estimated at $25 million.
Peter Hancock, company president, vowed to rebuild. CPC International, with about 300 workers, is the largest employer in this town of about 1,100.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Hancock said. “We’re the largest employer here and we’re not leaving. We rebuilt this place once before and we’ll do it again.”
In 1997, several of the company’s old buildings collapsed under the weight of heavy snow.
Elsewhere in the state, firefighters continued to battle several wildfires started by lightning.
At Mount Rainier National Park, rain extinguished three of seven small fires that were sparked by lightning on the east side earlier this week. The four remaining fires were burning in spruce, fir and huckleberry, but all park roads and trails remained open.
The Williams Butte fire, just inside the Sawtooth Wilderness 17 miles northwest of Twisp, had grown to more than 790 acres Wednesday. About 175 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, which was 15 percent contained.
The Pot Peak-Sisi Ridge complex of three fires had blackened a total of 47,470 acres near Lake Chelan. About 500 firefighters were assigned to the fires, which were 85 percent contained overall.
The Dirty Face fire near Lake Wenatchee was estimated at 295 acres of heavy brush and timber in very steep terrain.
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