Welding mishap causes Simplot fire
A fan-driven boat was brought in to clear out the air at the new Simplot facility near Moses Lake after fans the fire department usually carries were deemed to be insufficient for the volume of the new plant.
COURTESY PHOTO/GRANT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/KYLE FOREMAN
MOSES LAKE — Grant County Fire District 5 and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fire at the new Simplot freezer facility in the 2100 block of Road O Northeast at around noon Monday.
“The facility is still under construction and there was a welder who was above the conveyor belt. He was working and some of the hot materials he was working with fell onto the conveyor belt,” GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said.
The fire was under control by shortly after noon and firefighters were expected to be on-scene for a few hours to ensure it was completely out. The Moses Lake Fire Department arrived and assisted in ensuring the 420,000-square-foot building was safe and the fire was fully extinguished.
Nobody was hurt in the blaze and there was no risk to the public during the fire’s duration.
Foreman expressed appreciation for the aid of the Multi-Agency Call Center for dispatching and coordinating the response to the incident.
In a unique twist, Foreman said a fan-driven boat was brought in to air smoke out of the facility. While fire departments carry fans to vent smoke, the fans are sized for residential purposes, so the boat was brought in to handle the larger space that needed venting.