JUNE 2018
WPA member Sonoma Pacific Company was struck by fire on June 5, according to news reports. Around $200,000 in damage was caused, primarly due to the destruction of a heat treatment chamber.
The wood fire spread quickly, and ignited a 1,000-gallon propane tank which exploded in a fireball. The tank itself was hurled up and away from the blast, landing over 500 feet away in the middle of the eastbound lane of Fremont Drive, aka Highway 121.
The fire was much smaller than the one five years previous due to safety equipment on site. After local wildfires in October, the company had purchased a 2,000-gallon water tank, "a critical tool in an area of the county that lacks fire hydrants."
As of June 7, Thomas Thompson, the company owner, told the Sonoma Index-Tribune, “The company is operating again and the 42 employees are busy making pallets and fulfilling orders.”
Fire at Sonoma Pacific Causes $200K Damage
Advertisement