FINLEY, Wash. – Lineage’s public relations agency, MikeWorldWide (MWW), provided NonStop Local with a statement on Thursday regarding the company’s investigation into the Finley warehouse fire from April.
“Lineage’s investigation conducted by outside experts has concluded the cause of the fire is of an undetermined origin,” reads MWW’s statement. “We understand that experts for other involved parties are still investigating. We continue to work with members of the community who have reached out to Lineage on addressing their needs.”
The April 21 fire started early in the morning, with fire crews arriving around 5:15 a.m. to find light smoke emanating from a cold storage room.
The situation quickly escalated, and by midday, firefighters realized the severity of the fire.
“I don’t think anybody knew initially that it was gonna get out of control as it was,” a source said. “I would say around midday that day, as we were continuing to try to locate the fire and fight the fire, we realized it was gonna be something beyond what we’ve dealt with before.”
At 1:30 p.m., the fire intensified, forcing firefighters to evacuate the warehouse and combat the flames from outside. The smoke was visible for miles, and embers sparked brush fires nearby. A level three “Go Now” evacuation was issued, and a shelter-in-place order followed once the evacuation was lifted.
The fire destroyed a 500,000-square-foot facility, and the community of Finley was heavily impacted by the smoke. Benton County Fire District 1 reported responding to hundreds of smoke and flame complaints daily.
On June 20, two months after the fire began, crews finally extinguished all flames, and demolition soon commenced.
Community members have expressed concerns about the fire’s impact on their health and are now seeking legal advice.