Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville s Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Multiple fire units responded Tuesday afternoon to a blaze at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery on North Highway 99W.
By News-Register staff • 

Crews respond to Organic Valley Creamery fire; crews remain on site hours later

Multiple units responded Tuesday afternoon to a three-alarm fire at McMinnville's Organic Valley Creamery, 700 North Highway 99W. Firefighters were still working on the property early Wednesday morning.

 The 2 p.m. fire reportedly was confined to a warehouse. A major concern on the part of McMinnville Fire Department officials was the release of anhydrous ammonia. It can cause irritation to eyes and lead to trouble breathing.

It is used as a refrigerant at the creamery, which produces butter, nonfat dry milk powder and buttermilk powder with milk from Oregon and Washington farms.

McMinnville High School, to the southwest, was evacuated and the final period of the day canceled. Students and those from other district schools were sent home. Staff members were evacuated, too.

Afternoon school athletics and activities were also canceled as were youth soccer matches at Joe Dancer Park.

The evacuation and shelter in place order was lifted about 7:30 p.m., the McMinnville Police Department posted on its Facebook page.

At the height of the fire, McMinnville Deputy Fire Marshal Steve Candela was walking a neighborhood street, from where flames could be seen, advising residents to leave their homes.

Smoke blew over the downtown core and beyond throughout the afternoon, and a heavy odor was still present at the site early Wednesday morning, as platform ladder trucks remained on the scene and continued to pour water on the property.

Highway 99W in the immediate area of Organic Valley was closed. As traffic was being rerouted by the McMinnville Police Department and city public works officials, alternate routes of travel became heavily clogged.

Organic Valley, headquartered in La Farge, Wisconsin, posted the following message on its Facebook page:

"Early this afternoon, a fire broke out at our creamery in McMinnville, Oregon. All of our employees have been evacuated and, at this time, there are no reported injuries. Our main concerns are for our employees, the first responders and for the community."

Organic Valley CEO Bob Kirchoff said, “We are working to support all of our employees, the first responders, their families and the community of McMinnville. "Everyone at our cooperative is ready to help. We are thankful that there are no reported injuries, and we are working to ensure the safety of our employees and the surrounding community."

He said the extent of damage was unknown, as was a cause of the fire.

"We are thankful for the actions of local emergency personnel, and we are complying fully with local authorities," Kirchoff said.

Organic Valley bought the creamery from Farmers Cooperative Creamery in 2017.

An Organic Valley spokesperson said in a July 2020 News-Register story that the business had spent more than $20 million on renovations and upgrades, including “new equipment and state-of-the art technology, such as driers for powdering milk and refurbished butter churns more compatible with its existing butter-making standards and methods.”

Three silos had been replaced and two more were scheduled for replacement last year.

 

Comments

Bill B

How were residents asked to evacuate? Did they receive an alert? I didn't hear any sirens.

Rotwang

Reverse 911 maybe.

GRM

one has to be signed in into the Yamhill alert system. We got an alert by sms and voicemail. Check the Yamhill website.

bonnybedlam

We got the cell phone alert, and then, because we're so close to the fire, a cop came round in person. Recommend going to the county website and signing up for emergency alerts.

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