Firefighters continue to mop up blaze at Moxee warehouse

Crime and Courts Reporter

Firefighters battle a fire at Olympic Fruit on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Moxee, Wash.

Moxee residents can expect to see more smoke from the Olympic Fruit warehouse as firefighters continue to tackle hot spots in the smoldering ruins.

Chief Dale Hille said firefighters are waiting for investigators hired by Moxee to finish work at the site before cranes begin removing the collapsed roof from the building, allowing firefighters to tackle the remaining fire inside.

“With all that tin, we can call a crane company and bill the insurance company, or the property owner works with a demolition company,” Hille said.

East Valley firefighters were called around 3:50 p.m. Friday when a forklift caught fire near a propane tank and spread to another tank and the building, firefighters said.

The smoke from the fire, as well as a potential leak of ammonia refrigerant, prompted Yakima Valley Emergency Management to issue a shelter-in-place order for all those living within a mile of the warehouse Friday night. The order was lifted Saturday morning.

Hille said East Valley fire crews were on the roof of an adjoining warehouse through the weekend to ensure the fire remained contained.

Firefighters battle a fire at Olympic Fruit Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Moxee, Wash.

Firefighters battle a fire at Olympic Fruit on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Moxee, Wash.

Reach Donald W. Meyers at [email protected].

Crime and Courts Reporter

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