Arson is blamed for a four-alarm fire Saturday morning at a Yakima warehouse that required fire crews from as far away as Kittitas County and caused an estimated $20 million in damage.
It was the second time in 48 hours that fire broke out at Fruit Packers Supply Inc.Both fires are under investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The fire, which was first reported at 1:48 a.m., took nearly eight hours to bring under control and destroyed two steel buildings, a pair of semi-trucks and multiple stacks of cardboard fruit packing material and boxes.
“Almost everything we saved Thursday is gone,” Yakima Fire Capt. Don Wolterstortf said, referring to the earlier fire that caused an estimated $1 million worth of damage. Shift Commander Tom Schneider estimated the damage of Saturday’s blaze to be much more, at $20 million.