Out of the Past: Search combs Tanner for missing man; fire guts Weyerhaeuser plywood plant

1989: Only weeks before 60 local workers will be idled by closure of Weyerhaeuser’s sawmill, 130 more have been left without jobs by the destruction by fire of the company’s plywood mill on Sunday. The tall orange glow of the great fire could be seen from all over the area. Because the plant’s sprinkler system never activated, and because the three closest fire hydrants were frozen by a recent deep freeze, there was little firefighters could do as the 120,000 square foot mill was engulfed in flames.

February 13, 2014 4:14 pm

The following made the news 25 and 50 years ago, as found in the Valley Record archives

Thursday, Feb. 9, 1989

• Only weeks before 60 local workers will be idled by closure of Weyerhaeuser’s sawmill, 130 more have been left without jobs by the destruction by fire of the company’s plywood mill on Sunday. The tall orange glow of the great fire could be seen from all over the area. Because the plant’s sprinkler system never activated, and because the three closest fire hydrants were frozen by a recent deep freeze, there was little firefighters could do as the 120,000 square foot mill was engulfed in flames. The blaze destroyed the $2 million mill, $600,000 in stacked wood and three cars. It was thought that the fire started from overheating of an exhaust fan for the plant’s veneer dryers.

Thursday, Feb. 13, 1964

• The search continues for Albert “Ben” Young, 74, of Snoqualmie, who failed to return to his home Monday from a wood-cutting expedition. Searchers centered on the Camp 15 road above Tanner Tuesday after Paul Fleming, a county roads employee, passed him on the road the previous day.

• A field survey and examination of mining claims is underway in the Cedar area of Snoqualmie Forest.