A malfunctioning bandsaw sparked a fire early Friday morning at Interfor’s sawmill on Industrial Way, Philomath Fire and Rescue reported.
The fire ignited in a wall of the building and sawmill personnel attempted to put it out with fire extinguishers and hose lines, Deputy Fire Chief Rich Saalsaa said. However, those efforts failed to reach the seat of the smoldering fire.
Philomath Fire and Rescue, which was dispatched to the location at 12:57 a.m., fully extinguished what remained of the fire. No injuries were reported.
“According to witnesses at the mill, the saw suffered a malfunction while in operation that caused sparks to be generated,” Saalsaa said. “Those sparks ignited the sawdust in the air, which caught the insulation above the sawmill on fire. That fire, in turn, produced drop-down of burning materials which landed behind wood paneling on the side wall of the building, approximately three stories up from the ground floor.”
Philomath Fire and Rescue attacked the scene with a single-hose line from an engine to put out the fire. The wood paneling and insulation were stripped from the wall and ceiling to check for any spread, Saalsaa added.
Saalsaa said the fire was under control within 10 minutes of arrival and another 90 minutes were spent on the followup overhaul operation.
The local fire department responded with an engine with three personnel, another fire apparatus with two personnel and two chief officers. Fire Chief Chancy Ferguson worked interior command and Saalsaa served as the incident commander.
The Corvallis Fire Department also provided an engine company with five personnel to assist.
During the operation, district coverage out of Station 201 on Main Street was handled by a Fire and Rescue officer along with two personnel from Monroe Fire.
Saalsaa said damage to the metal building was estimated at less than $10,000.
Interfor, which took over the complex in 2021 from Georgia Pacific, operates at two sites in Philomath — one location for the sawmill and kilns and another for planing and shipping.