Fan motor failure likely caused fire at apple warehouse

Motors showed signs of failure and likely caused the fire Nov. 25.

  • By Wire Service
  • Saturday, December 1, 2018 1:47pm
  • Northwest

Associated Press

ORONDO — Fire officials say a motor powering a fan likely failed and caused a fire that destroyed offices and a packed apple warehouse in central Washington.

Capt. Doug Drescher of Douglas County Fire District 2 tells the Capital Press in a story on Thursday that three motors powered the fan at Pine Canyon Growers’ warehouse.

Drescher says investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found one of the motors showed signs of failure and likely caused the fire on Nov. 25.

Andy Feil is co-owner of Pine Canyon Growers. He says he hopes to be back in operation within a few weeks.

Officials didn’t have an estimate for the damage to the warehouse or its contents.

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