Tuesdaymorning the Wild River Foods french fry processing plant in Grandview, Washington burnt to the ground in what is described as a total loss.
Wild River Foods went up in flames when a short in an electrical panel sparked a fire that quickly consumed the building. The 45 to 50 workers on duty all got out safely, and there were no injuries to employees or firefighters. But with the plant declared a total loss, city officials are worried about the fire's impact on this small community.
Most longtime Grandview residents refer to the complex, at 206 Avenue A, as the Libby plant. In recent years, the plant was operated under leases by Sunheaven Farms of Prosser, Columbia Foods of Quincy, Willow Wind Organic Foods of Spokane and AgriFrozen. The most recent tenant before Wild River was Bybee Foods, a vegetable processor.
According to county property records, OB-2 LLC purchased the plant from Kenyon Zero Storage just four months ago for $3.8 million.
The plant reopened about 18 months ago as Wild River Foods.
Representatives of the plant's owner, OB-2 LLC, based in Boise, Idaho, were at the scene of the blaze but declined to speak to reporters, leaving unclear whether the plant will be rebuilt.
