Fire destroys several buildings at iconic Mill site in Hood River; employees shifted to Dallesport
Firefighters attempt to hose down the flames at Gorge Building Supply at 755 Frankton Road this morning, Dec. 12 Photo credit: Hood River Fire & EMS
By Tom Peterson
HOOD RIVER, Ore. - December 22, 2023 — Firefighters rushed to a boiling inferno that cast an orange pall over the sky in Hood River at 1:56 am this morning as three buildings at Gorge Building Supply at 755 Frankton Road were being destroyed by flames.
The iconic mill, formerly called Krieg Millwork and owned by Ravi Grover, has been around for decades; one building on the 9-acre site was over 100 years old, and locals have trusted the place for wood and finish supplies for decades. It is a part of the Hood River fabric.
Current operators of the mill say, they are working diligently to reopen the operation in days to come and are steadfast in keeping some 30 employees working.
“Upon arriving at the blaze, a West Side Fire Unit and Hood River Fire team were met with a harrowing scene of a fast-moving fire consuming multiple buildings within the complex. Given the scale of the structures, the extent of the blaze, and the volatile contents involved, the incident commander swiftly summoned additional resources to the scene,” according to the Hood River Fire press release.
It is estimated that some 50 firefighters worked the fire, containing it to just an approximate one-acre section of the mill site.
Photo Credits above: Blaine Franger, Hood River Fire & EMS
At 9 a.m. this morning, Firefighters were on-site, collaborating with an investigator from the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office (OSFM) to ascertain the cause and origin of the inferno. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported thus far.
A small fire still burns on the Gorge Building Supply site this morning, Dec. 22, in Hood River as firefighters remained on site dousing hotspots.
The West Side Fire District received assistance from units dispatched by Hood River Fire & EMS, Wy'East Fire District, Cascade Locks Fire, Parkdale Fire, Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue, as well as Klickitat County White Salmon and Bingen Fire departments.
As of now, the cause of the fire remains undetermined, and no damage estimate is available, said Hood River Fire’s Leonard Damian. “It’s unfortunate to see any business burned by fire, but it is especially difficult around the holidays,” said Hood River Chief Leonard, who agreed it was a heartbreaker. “This mill has been here a long time.”
Operations Manager Jamie Loomis with Oregon Building Supply looked over the charred remains of the structures this morning, Dec. 22. He got the call about the fire shortly after it started. The fifth-generation Hood River local said his mind quickly shifted to how to protect the 30 employees who work at the mill.
Gorge Building Supply’s Jamie Loomis, right, works with an employee on organizing heavy equipment after the fire.
He said the vast majority were shifted to Summit Cedar Remand, a mill operating on Tidyman Road in Dallesport today. Summit Cedar is owned by the same company as Gorge Building Supply. He said the Dallesport mill could increase to 2 or 3 shifts with the influx of employees.
“I’ve got that many people’s welfare to consider,” he said. “You got to do something.”
Loomis was unsure of the value lost in the fire, but noted expensive mill equipment burned as well as the three buildings. He said a very rare piece of equipment from the ‘60s that could dovetail wood at a high rate of speed was destroyed.
Loomis and his employees were already moving equipment around the site this morning. He said he hoped to have a trailer moved in next week so that employees could continue to offer retail sales at the site.
“My kid and I were just looking at the old photos of the mill the other day,” Loomis said, noting the history of the business.
“Thank you to the firefighters and their quick response,” he added. “It could have been a lot worse.”
Loomis said the fire was contained before reaching 4.5 million board feet of lumber that is stored on the site.
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