Fire Guts Production Facility In Mattawa Containing 5 Million Gallons Of Wine
A wine production facility in Grant County has heavy damage following a fire on Tuesday afternoon.
The Grant County Sheriff's Office says the blaze erupted at around 3 p.m. in the 22000 block of State Route 243 in Mattawa, where firefighters reportedly arrived to find the structure well involved with smoke and flames.
Crews established a defensive posture around the fire and worked for over an hour before knocking down the flames entirely.
The building, which houses the Central Washington Wine Production Group and a tasting room for Upwest Wine, suffered damage in the tens-of-millions of dollars and is being considered a total loss, along with all of its contents.
Officials say the structure contained nearly 5 million gallons of wine in casks and other receptacles, as well as commercial machinery and industrial supplies used in the wine making process.
Investigators believe the blaze might have sparked inside an electrical panel, where flames were reportedly seen earlier in the day.
No injuries were reported.
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