Investigation underway into cause of fire that ravaged historic Baker City building
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, May 23rd, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — Fire crews are mopping up what remains of a devastating fire that severely damaged the historic Central Building in Baker City.
The fire broke out around 6:30am on Wednesday, May 22 at the building, located at 5th & Court St., just across from Baker Middle School.
Incident commanders believe the fire started at the southwest corner of the 57,000-square-foot building on 6th & Court, then quickly spread. Thick smoke billowing from the roof was seen for miles.
Crews from rural fire departments across Baker County quickly joined the Baker Fire Department as the fire grew. Eventually, a mutual aid call was made to the La Grande Fire Department and Ontario Fire Department to also come help battle the blaze.
The majority of the roof on the three-story building caved in during the fire and Chief Sean Lee of the Baker Rural Fire Department said most of the inside of the building was destroyed.
“It’s pretty gutted,” said Chief Lee.
Lee said the fire was mostly under control by 2:00pm on Tuesday afternoon, but that crews with the Baker City Fire Department were staying on scene for mop-up work and to be on the lookout for any flare ups.
No injuries have been reported and Lee say the building was empty at the time of the fire.
Investigators with the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office and a fire investigator with the Oregon State Police are also on scene. No information has been released about a potential cause.
“I am very grateful for the excellent response from our Baker City Firefighters and local rural fire stations – the teamwork displayed by everyone was great,” said Baker City Manager Barry Murphy. “The nature of the fire in that large of a structure was a major challenge, so we’re also thankful for the response from the La Grande Fire Department and Ontario Fire Department. Having two extra ladder trucks helped contain the fire and reduce the risk to the surrounding area. Huge thanks to our neighboring cities.”
The building was built in 1916 and was the location of Baker High until 1952. It was then part of the Baker Middle School campus, before closing for good in 2009. Baker Technical Institute has recently completed a project to replace the building’s roof with further work planned to remove asbestos and lead-based paint inside the building.
During the fire, the Baker School District canceled classes at Baker Middle School and also canceled classes for Thursday, May 23. Students at all Baker City schools were released early.
The Baker County Health Department also advised individuals with health concerns to avoid the area due to smoke. Mobile air quality monitors are being deployed to assess the air quality in nearby buildings, including Baker Middle School.
The Baker County Courthouse, located two blocks east of the Central Building, closed for the remainder of Wednesday due to smoke infiltration. It is scheduled to reopen Thursday at 8:00am.
