Eastern WA winery with 4.5M gallons engulfed in flames
GRANT COUNTY, Wash. - Firefighters from multiple agencies responded Tuesday to a large fire at the Central Washington Wine Production Group and UpWest Wine Tasting Room near Mattawa.
What we know:
Emergency crews were called to the 22000 block of State Route 243 South around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday after a witness noticed smoke and alerted local fire officials.
The facility, which specializes in bulk wine solutions and the UpWest label, had 4.5 million gallons of wine stored in pressurized stainless steel equipment.
Winery fire in Eastern Washington (loop)
Firefighters from several agencies extinguished a large fire Tuesday afternoon at a wine production facility and tasting room near Mattawa that held 4.5 million gallons of wine. (Credit: Grant County Sheriff's Office)
While the pressurized equipment created a safety hazard for crews, firefighters from Grant County districts, Royal Slope, Hanford, and other agencies brought the blaze under control by 5 p.m. All employees inside the building evacuated safely.
What we don't know:
The Grant County Fire Marshal is investigating the scene, but officials have not yet identified the specific cause of the fire. It also remains unclear exactly how much of the 4.5 million gallons of wine was damaged or destroyed.
Why you should care
The UpWest Wine Tasting Room is a local destination that was preparing for a major Mother's Day event this coming weekend. The facility is a key part of the region's wine industry, processing grapes from vineyards across the Columbia Valley.
What's next
UpWest Wine announced that its tasting room will remain closed until further notice. The Mother's Day event scheduled for this weekend has been canceled as the business waits for operations to resume.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Grant County Sheriff's Office and UpWest Wines.
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