ALBANY, Ore. — Firefighters spent approximately four hours battling a commercial structure fire Saturday night at the Arauco manufacturing facility in Albany, successfully preventing the blaze from spreading throughout the large industrial building.
The Albany Fire Department was dispatched at approximately 8:40 p.m. to the facility at 2550 NE Old Salem Road after receiving reports of a fire on the roof. The plant manufactures engineered wood products, including particleboard.
When crews arrived, they found active flames burning on the roof and extending into several large air ducts inside the facility. Firefighters faced significant challenges due to the size of the industrial building, the difficulty of safely accessing the fire area, and the need to stretch hose lines long distances to reach the seat of the blaze.
Despite those obstacles, crews were able to confine the fire to its point of origin and the affected ductwork, preventing it from spreading further into the manufacturing facility.
Firefighters remained on scene for about four hours, working to bring the fire under control and fully extinguish remaining hot spots.
During the operation, the Albany Fire Department deployed an unmanned aerial drone equipped with an infrared camera to identify hidden pockets of heat on the roof and within the structure. The technology helped crews quickly locate lingering hot spots and direct suppression efforts more effectively.
The response included 25 personnel from the Albany Fire Department. Mutual aid assistance was provided by the Corvallis Fire Department, which supplied a ladder truck and a medic unit to maintain emergency medical coverage within Albany during the incident. The Jefferson Rural Fire Protection District also responded with an engine company and a water tender to support firefighting operations.
No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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