SAGINAW, Ore. — A massive fire has destroyed the Whitsell wood products manufacturing plant in the community of Saginaw, north of Cottage Grove.
The Register-Guard reported the fire was reported at around 7:30 p.m. Sunday and engulfed the mill within 30 minutes.
Lane Fire Authority Chief Terry Ney said flames could be seen from a half-mile away.
Billowing plumes of smoke rose into the evening sky and could be seen from Eugene, 20 miles to the north.
No injuries were reported.
After destroying the 169,000-square-foot mill building, the fire spread to stacks of finished lumber products on the site.
Ney said that with so much fuel to feed the fire, firefighters took up a defensive posture and resigned themselves to pouring water on the log piles through the night, into Monday.
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