Roseburg Investigating Possible Failure of Water-Spraying Machine as Potential Cause of Mill Fire

In a press release on Wednesday (9-7-22), Roseburg Forest Products Co., the operators of a veneer mill located in Weed, California, at the center of the Mill Fire, announced that it was investigating whether the possible failure of a water-spraying machine from a third-party equipment manufacturer led to the ignition of a structural fire at its facility on Friday, September 2, 2022.

The Roseburg Weed facility produces its own electric power in a co-generation facility fueled by wood remnants. The generator ejects ash after consuming the wood; that ash is sprayed with cooling water using a third-party-supplied machine. Roseburg is in the process of investigating whether the third-party machine failed to cool the ash sufficiently which thereby ignited the fire.

While Roseburg is not admitting liability, as the origin of the fire is still to be determined, Roseburg plans to proactively provide up to $50 million for a community restoration fund for the initial recovery needs of impacted residents. The fund will assist residents with temporary shelter, medical supplies and treatment, transportation, clothing, food and water, and childcare/day care services.