A fire that generated a towering smoke plume on Friday, March 21, destroyed an agricultural storage building in Ontario.
Fire crews from around the region contained the fire south of downtown Ontario.
Ontario Fire and Rescue Chief Clint Benson said in a Friday press release that firefighters continued to monitor the smoldering 25,000-square-foot building at 152 Ninth Ave. S.E. that broke into fire around 9:45 a.m. on Friday.
Benson said the building is not “structurally sound” and is dangerous to enter. He asked that people keep clear of the area as the structure poses a safety risk to anyone in the “collapse zone.”
He said 30 firefighters from agencies in Ontario, Vale, Payette, Parma, and New Plymouth responded to the blaze.
Benson said no immediate injuries were reported from the fire, but that investigation continues.
He said fire officials are working with Hector Navarrete, owner of Navarrete Farms, to safely enter the building to investigate the cause of the fire, given the danger of the structure collapsing.
He said the Oregon state fire marshal is helping with the investigation.
Benson said that crews acted fast on Friday to contain the blaze. He said the building was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. The fire threatened a nearby fuel storage owned by Farmers Supply Cooperative and another agricultural building owned by Baker & Murakami Produce.
Wiggles and Giggles Childcare Center, which is located across the street from the fire, evacuated nearly 30 children due to heavy smoke, according to owner Jaecie Manzo.
Manzo said parents trying to reach the center during the fire told her they were held up in traffic because people stopped to get photos and videos of the fire.
She said the experience frightened the kids.
“The kids had ashes all over them,” she said. “Everybody was crying. It was scary for them.”
Manzo said she is unsure if the child care center could open on Monday due to smoke damage. She said a disaster response team is assessing the extent of the damage.
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