CHELAN FALLS, Wash. -- A three-alarm blaze ripped through a 30,000-square-foot warehouse near here Monday night, destroying Kelley Iron Works and threatening nearby businesses.
Sixty-four firefighters from seven stations dodged explosions and downed power lines to contain the flames inside Kelley Iron Works, where the fire began, and divert heat and smoke away from an adjacent warehouse complex and scattered outbuildings.
The iron works' equipment and contents were a total loss, said Chief Tim Lemon of Chelan County Fire District 7 and incident commander at the blaze. "It appears not much could be salvaged," he said. "The heat was intense enough to warp or ruin even the metal inside."
The fire occurred at a complex of businesses in former fruit warehouses located at the junction of Highway 97 and State Route 150, the road that loops past Chelan Falls and up the hill into Chelan.
The fire's cause remained unknown this morning, said Lemon. Fire officials were scheduled to meet with state fire investigators at around 9:30 a.m. today to begin sifting through ashes and rubble for whatever ignited the blaze.
Several nearby businesses, including a second-hand clothing outlet operated by the Chelan Senior Center, may have received some smoke damage, but even that has not been determined, said Lemon.
Firefighters received the call for the blaze at 7:31 p.m. during their regular Monday night training session, said Lemon. "We were already at the station and nearly ready to go," he said. "Our response time wasn't more than five minutes."
When firefighters arrived at the scene, the iron works' space was in flames, said the chief. "We began working to stop it from extending beyond the firewall."
Several explosions occurred at the height of the blaze, he said, and downed power lines added to the firefighting risk. A fire of this size, Lemon said, is rare for Chelan and considered to be a "career fire" for most of the small-town firefighters.
"But training kicked in and everyone did an exceptional job," said Lemon. "They carried out assigned tasks from a command staff that was in good control of a risky situation."
No one was injured, the chief said.
Most firefighting operations ended around 1 a.m., but Lemon said crews remained at the scene this morning to monitor the rubble and extinguish hot spots.
County crews answering the three-alarm call included staff and trucks from Chelan, Wenatchee, Manson, Entiat, East Wenatchee, Orondo and Mansfield.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
