Yakima Valley’s biggest sawmill was the site of Yakima’s largest timber fire within the city limits. A four alarm fire, what a blaze, forty foot flames and extreme heat, was more then I have ever experienced. Imagine a camp fire times 10,000.
This is actually the third fire at this Boise Cascade location in three months, check the largest flame in the picture below. This is not a photo editing trick. I found it a little spooky capturing a huge number 3 in the flames.
This Yakima fire caused a power outage for the entire downtown area and several neighborhoods until 7pm, most of power is back on but the fire is not nearly out. While taking these pictures I could feel the intense heat from this fire melting my skin, this sawmill blaze has got to be the hottest the firemen have ever fought taking a toll on there bodies, but they are amazing and are fighting this fire diligently.
Strange that on July 18th 2009, The Yakima Herald-Republic did a article stating that the left over logs at old Boise Cascade site raised fire concerns, the log piles remain on the former Boise Cascade property after the sawmill was closed and today Boise Cascade is blazing.
It appeared that the blaze was so huge and hot that they had to let it burn out and control it from spreading. Boise Cascade stored stacked timbers in multiple rows about 50 yards long. It looked like four of these rows were burning and some surrounding grass.
Yakima photographers keep your camera ready at all times. These are not the type of photos that I prefer taking but many site visitors are interested in them.
