Summit Cedar Mill Fire Update: Business to Reopen by Monday
Here is a view of the Summit Cedar Mill fire at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16. Photo by Christina Louise Settlemire
By Joshuah Albert
The Dalles, Ore., May 17, 2024 — Summit Cedar Mill, located in Dallesport, experienced a significant fire yesterday that started around 3:00 p.m. The fire, initially triggered by one of the mill’s trucks catching fire, quickly spread due to high winds, igniting nearby stacks of wood.
Jovil Valasqez, the plant manager at Summit Cedar Mill, provided details about the incident this morning, May 17.
"One of our trucks caught on fire, and we immediately called the fire department," Valasqez said. "Initially, only one fire truck was dispatched because it was a vehicle fire, but by the time they arrived, embers had already started small spot fires on the wood."
Recognizing the severity of the situation, the firefighters called for additional support, and fire departments from other counties responded.
The owner of Summit Excavation, a neighboring business, also contributed by using a bulldozer to move stacks of wood, aiding the firefighters' efforts.
Despite the intensity of the fire, Valasqez offered a positive update on the mill's status.
"We luckily didn't lose too much. None of the essential parts of the company were lost, and we will be back open by Monday," he said. "The fire never touched the office or the processing building. All we need is the power company to turn the power on, and we are ready to go."
The company owning Summit Cedar Mill has suffered two major fires in the last six months. The company’s other business, Gorge Building Supply at 755 Frankton Road in Hood River lit up the sky in this photo from BlaineBethanyGallery on Dec. 22, 2023.
This marks the second fire incident for the company in the past six months. Previously, Gorge Building Supply at 755 Frankton Road in Hood River was partly destroyed in a fire, impacting several buildings.
Reflecting on the recent challenges, Valasqez remarked, "It’s been a bad six months, but this fire won’t set us back too badly."
You can read CCCNews’ original stories about the fires below:
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