UPDATE: Crews still on scene of flour mill fire
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, August 10th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – As of 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the Pendleton Fire Department is still on scene of the fire at the Pendleton Flour Mills. Overnight, other fire departments from around the state assisted the Pendleton Fire Department by keeping watch on the structure to give local firefighters some much-needed rest.
As previously stated, this is going to be a protracted operation due to the size of the building, the material inside, and the lack of safe access.
Today, city staff will be working with Grain Craft to develop a plan to get safe access to the building. SE Emigrant Avenue will remain closed from SE Sixth and SE Third streets. Later today (Thursday), on lane of SE Dorian Avenue will be opened for vehicular traffic. Drivers are asked to be attentive in the area as emergency personnel is still working in the area. On-lookers and pedestrians are asked to maintain a safe distance.
On Thursday, Pete Frederick, President & CEO of Grain Craft released the following statement:
Yesterday a fire caused substantial damage to our flour mill in Pendleton, Oregon. First and
foremost, we are beyond grateful that no one was injured. The blaze required several hours and
many teams of responders to bring it under control. While the situation is still active, we are
working to fully understand the cause and circumstances.
We would like to offer our sincere gratitude to everyone from the Pendleton Fire Department,
Pendleton Police Department, many surrounding fire departments, public works and all first
responders who were on the scene yesterday and throughout the night. Thank you for your
service and dedication to the safety of the Pendleton community.
We also want to recognize the impact this fire has had on our neighbors throughout the town
and want to thank you for your patience and support as the fire was cleared. We are truly
grateful to be surrounded by such a strong and supportive community. Our Grain Craft family
appreciates your patience as we work through this unfortunate loss.
We have been in touch with all our Pendleton mill team members to discuss areas of support in
the coming weeks.
The Pendleton flour mill began operation more than 100 years ago, and it was not only an
important component in providing our customers flour, but it was also a significant piece of
history for the city of Pendleton and for the milling industry. All of us at Grain Craft are
heartbroken by the events of yesterday.
ORIGINAL STORY: The fire that sparked up again early Wednesday morning at the Pendleton Flour Mills is believed to be contained as firefighters work defensively to keep the blaze from spreading throughout the mill.
When the fire first started Tuesday afternoon, Assistant Fire Chief Anthony Pierotti said it was due to a rubber boot on a filter catching fire. Police Chief Chuck Byram, who is the public information officer for the fire, said that first responders will stay overnight to monitor the fire and they continue to keep water on the area.
Byram said that the fire will be reassessed in the morning with Grain Craft employees to devise a plan for reopening the building.
The fire forced the closure of Southeast Dorion and Emigrant avenues in that area. The Umatilla County Courthouse was closed for the day and all state court business was transferred to the Stafford Hansell Government Center in Hermiston. The Oregon Department of Human Services also closed and workers were at home, trying to reschedule appointments. In addition, Kayak Public Transit moved its usual stop in Til Taylor Park to the shelter at Circle K on Southeast Court Avenue due to the fire.
Flour mill workers have expressed concern over being out of work for an extended period of time. Oregon Employment Department Communications Director Sarah Sol said the department is aware of the fire and is ready to advise employees. She wrote the following:
The mill workers might be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, if they have become unemployed through no fault of their own, but benefit eligibility is based on many factors. We encourage any worker who becomes unemployed to file a claim so that we can determine if they are eligible to receive benefits.
The fastest way to file a claim is through our Online Claim System, available at unemployment.oregon.gov. People also may call us at 1-877-FILE-4-UI. For people who speak languages other than English, they can request an interpreter in their language when they call this phone number. They also may send their name, requested language, and phone number to OED_LanguageAccess@employ.oregon.gov to receive a call back in their language.
