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Fire Destroys Whitsell Manufacturing Plant

Cottage Grove Sentinel

A massive fire destroyed the Whitsell wood products manufacturing plant in the community of Saginaw, north of Cottage Grove.

The fire was reported at around 7:30 p.m. Sunday and engulfed the mill within 30 minutes.

Lane Fire Authority Chief Terry Ney says flames could be seen from a half-mile away. Billowing plumes of smoke rose into the evening sky and could be seen from Eugene, 20 miles to the north.

No injuries were reported.

After destroying the 169,000-square-foot mill building, the fire spread to stacks of finished lumber products on the site.

Ney says the ruins are expected to continue smoldering for several days.

Born and raised in Eugene, Anni started at KLCC in 2000 as a reporter and co-host of Northwest Passage. After graduating from the University of Oregon, Anni moved to New York City. She worked in education for several years before returning to her true love, journalism. Anni co-founded and co-hosted Dailysonic, a narrative-based news podcast. She interned at WNYC's On The Media, then becoming WNYC's assistant producer of Morning Edition.
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