Pine Canyon Fruit Packing complex in Orondo burns down

ORONDO - Orondo Fire was Dispatched at 5:20 p.m. on November 25 to the report of a fire in the Commercial area  of downtown Orondo. First units arriving found a large fire burning in the Pine Canyon Fruit Packing complex. On fire was a large shipping warehouse associated with an apple packing facility.

A second alarm was dispatched due to the size of the building and extent of the fire. Three ladder trucks were placed along the length of the building to douse flames that were over 50 feet above the roof of the building. Additional engines and crews with handlines doused flames from the ground level. Firefighting was hampered due to the extent of the fire when the initial report came in. The facility had not operated since before thanksgiving with the fire likely smoldering for hours if not days before it burned through the roof  and a large section collapsed making the fire noticeable to a passersby. The age of the building and multiple additions made firefighting difficult along with an ammonia refrigeration system had over 2,000 pounds of ammonia refrigerant.

Second alarm brought response of firefighters and apparatus from Waterville, East Wenatchee, Wenatchee, Chelan, Manson and Leavenworth Fire Departments. The Douglas County Sheriff conducted evacuations of the neighboring residences. In all 37 firefighters spent five hours battling the fire to contain it with crews remaining on scene overnight.

Local fire marshals and the ATF will begin investigating the cause of the fire tomorrow. The estimated loss is $12,000,000. There were no injuries.