PORT ANGELES — Workers at the K Ply plywood mill returned to work Wednesday evening, a day after a stubborn fire kept firefighters on the scene until the early morning.
No one was injured in the blaze that struck the northwest corner of the plywood processing plant at 439 Marine Drive.
Firefighters were originally summoned at 7:37 p.m. Tuesday, and did not return to the station until 3 a.m. Wednesday, Port Angles Fire Marshal Ken Dubuc said.
“It’s very labor-intensive,” he said.
A truck and a crew of four firefighters stayed at the scene all night to ensure the fire did not flare up.
In addition to 60 firefighters from multiple Clallam County agencies on the scene, 14 fire engines, ladder trucks and medic units responded, Dubuc said.
He credited personnel from Clallam County Fire Districts Nos. 2, 3 and 4 for their efforts.
“We’re all in this together,” Dubuc said.
He also credited K Ply employees who fought the fire with internal fire hoses when the blaze first broke out.
“They did a good job,” he said.
Starts in drying oven
The fire started in a plywood drying oven and spread into the rafters. Firefighters battled it atop ladders inside the building and from the roof.
The building’s sprinkler system helped to keep the fire in check, but they also provided a perilous working situation for firefighters, Dubuc said.
“Working in the rain, on ladders, with chain saws — it’s a difficult proposition,” he said.