A fire destroyed a building at a Wilbur-Ellis fertilizer and blending facility in Moses Lake, Wash., on Sunday, Oct. 23. Firefighters were called to the scene around 3:15 p.m., but the building was already engulfed and collapsed at 5:15 p.m., according to local authorities.
The local fire chief told the Columbia Basin Herald that the building was not very old and was built completely of wood, so there would be no corrosion issues. He said that was why the flames were so fast and quick.
There were no injuries, and no employees were on site at the time of the fire. Those living one mile to the northeast of the plant were asked to shelter-in-place through Monday morning as the fire continued to smolder.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Department said on Oct. 24 that none of the building contents appeared to be involved in the fire. The Grant County Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating.
Wilbur-Ellis had not responded to inquiries at press time.