Memories of The Paper Mill Fire, September 7, 1957
The Paper Mill Fire
Linda Larson Baer
It was my first formal birthday party that I remember while I was growing up. On Saturday, September 7, 1957, I had happily invited a few friends and my sisters to celebrate. My dad had built a large fiberglass wading pool for my sisters, Julie, Becky, Elizabeth and me and placed it in our backyard on Liberty. He had the great idea of stocking the pool with real trout so we could go fishing as one of the party activities. We were having a great time. Anne Pierce Aslin, wearing her new felt skirt, fell in the pool. She still says I pushed her but I don’t think so.
Shortly after noon while we were enjoying ourselves, we suddenly heard the paper mill whistle. The paper mill was a central part of Millwood. Many people in the neighborhood worked there. My grandfather, Chester A. Buckland had recently retired as president of IEP and my father was the current plant engineer. This was the major way the community knew what time it was since the whistle would blow at 7:00 AM, noon, 12:45 PM and 4:00 PM. But this whistle wasn’t blowing at the scheduled time. Soon it became evident that the whistle was to alert the community that a major fire was going on at the paper mill. Dad left immediately to help fight the blaze. We didn’t see him for the rest of the day.
So my memories of my birthday party were mostly of worry about what was happening, were people OK, and when would the fire be out. I was mostly worried about if Dad was OK.
As for personal memories... as a kid, IT was exciting! All the commotion,
crowds of neighbors watching and fighting the fire, and our "favorite
playground" on fire. The heat was intense and the firefighters kept
wanting everyone to stay back. I know all the adults were worried and
upset. Many of our neighbors and my uncle worked at the mill. So it
was very personal for them. The bank was very brushy and treed at that
time so there was concern that the fire would spread to nearby homes
as well as West to the mill itself. My Dad got off work at 1:00 and
was involved with fighting the fire at the warehouse on Empire.
Barb Bennett
I remember the frantic sound of the mill whistle as it soared up and down its tonal range.
Off duty employees living in our neighborhood north of Liberty were soon running toward the mill.
Later that afternoon Mom (Jean [Buckland] Green) took Sally and me to help out at the masonic hall where
sandwiches and beverages were prepared for the fire fighters. We worked way past my ten year
old bedtime. I remember standing bleary-eyed as the night seemed to never end.
Barbara (Green) St.Clair
I remember being at the Dishman theater with Nikki, Susan and Jeff Batson that Saturday.
After we were picked up I worked at the masonic hall serving sandwiches to the firefighters
on their breaks. My mom, Jean Green, had to pull me away from a table when one of the guys,
probably one of those young airmen, got a bit fresh.
Sally Green (Age 14 in Sept, 1957)
[I remember] coming back from camping at Sacheen Lake and seeing the glow of the mill fire of '57 as far away as Chatteroy.
As we descended down the old Argonne hill we saw quite a sight that we had in no way anticipated.
Robert E. Johnson
Recollections of the fire at Millwood Washington, Inland Empire Paper Company, September 7th, 1957, (The Mill)
I was around 8 years old at the time and did not realize what transpired that afternoon and later evening regarding the fire that occurred at the Millwood paper mill and
surrounding stacks of logs. A fire originated by a spark from a steam engine or other railroad yard equipment and lasted well into the evening hours, destroying several
months supply of logs awaiting processing. A vast amount of logs were stacked along the south side of the river bank and extended eastward for a considerable distance;
reports estimated a 2 to 3 month supply of logs were stored along paper mill property.
I remember going with my father in the car heading east on Upriver Drive later that evening and surveying what had happened. The emergency whistle at the Mill alerted
the Community to an impending disaster so naturally nearly everyone wanted to learn of the circumstances. My father and I drove to a point on the north bank of the
Spokane River about where the Centennial Trailhead and bicycle bridge now converge (east of Plante’s Ferry and down river from the rock outcroppings) and walked
in a short distance to see first-hand the burning mass of logs . This was obviously no small pile of logs and the fire was fully engulfed from this point all the way along the
south bank toward the Mill. Fortunately the Mill, private homes and businesses were spared thanks to emergency response personnel. The monetary loss of a valuable commercial resource was
estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars for the time period. Thankfully, not anywhere as devastating as the 1889 Spokane fire but just as every bit a ”day to remember”
in the experience of many Millwood residents. Marc Richert
Paper Mill Fire, September 7, 1957
Saturday at approximately 12:15pm, someone noticed a fire down near the railroad tracks near the log piles. The paper mill received the fire call about 4 minutes later.
This was a hot – windy summer day and I lived at E. 9014 Frederick, a couple of blocks from the paper mill. [My sister, Virginia Anderson’s birthday was on Sunday, Sept. 8 and she invited several friends to a small party on Saturday.] We were [in the back yard] celebrating my sister’s 20th Birthday when the paper mill whistle started blowing to alert the mill employee’s and firemen of a fire. The code, 3 long blasts and 3 – short blasts repeated several times.
I had been attending some recent fire drills so I ran inside to check the fire whistle code. The whistle did not blow on Saturdays unless there was a fire call.
Living a couple of blocks from the paper mill, I hurried towards the mill to see what I could see. I saw lots of smoke and fire in the log piles and people running to help. I helped extend and man hose lines for several hours till dinner time.
As the fire was spreading, more fire departments were called to help. Valley Fire Department, Spokane Fire Department, Fairchild Air Force, Civil Defense, U.S. Naval Supply Air Station, Naval Supply at Industrial Park. An estimated 15 fire trucks responded and an estimate of 1000 people helped extend hose lines, turned on fire hydrants and brought food and water to those that needed. I think most of Millwood’s Residents were there helping.
A couple of hours later and approx 2:00pm, the mill whistle started blowing again for another fire at the old apple warehouse on Empire, a couple blocks east of Argonne. Several trucks were sent there to fight that fire. As more reports came in of fire embers blowing across the river to Pasadena Park, crews were sent to extinguish them. Also, paper mill employees were busy setting up sprinklers on top of and close by log piles to try to keep fire off of them.
The fire destroyed approximately 8 million board feet of logs, ¾ mile Railroad track and ties. Logs were Western Hemlock, White Pine, White Spruce. Estimated loss of $400,000.
The cause of the fire was probably a steam locomotive and extremely hot dry grass near the tracks and log pile. Extremely hot dry weather and high winds spread the fire quickly.
[After the fire, IEP stored the logs differently. They separated them into small piles and they put sprinklers up on top.]
Jim Anderson January 30, 2013 [Includes information from oral discussion of February 6, 2013]
Facebook discussion, 2014
Penny Shephard I have some pictures from our back yard, which borders the Paper Mill property. I was too young to remember, but remember hearing the stories and it was very scary to be
so close to our house. I will see if I can find those pictures and post them.
February 24 at 7:31pm
Stan Soash We lived across the river form the log pile. I have photos of it someplace. I'll see if I can find them.
February 24 at 8:05pm ·
Bobby Schott I was 11 at the time and remember us kids riding our bikes from Orchard Avenue 1 mile to Millwood and watching the fire..."Security" was light or non-existent so we could ride
right up to the fire trucks and see very well....were probably just below Penny's house xoxoxoo
February 25 at 7:35am ·
Brian Harrison My mom and I walked down to watch a bit of it; I was impressed with the community spirit of those serving coffee and food to the firefighters; thought that was so great that
people cared about each other like that. I believe it was at the Soroptimist's Club on Argonne.
February 25 at 7:34pm ·
John Pierce I remember seeing it from Jack Fowlers yard. I am not sure how I got there. probably Mom. I was six years old.
February 26 at 6:32am ·
Kay Hughlett I remember the fire. The Mill was just a block from our house on Marguerite. My mom, Theresa Watts, worked in the office. She also came home for lunch. Larry White, our neighbor,
also worked there. Never have forgotten the a.m. whistle.
February 27 at 11:22am ·
Lorry K. Fitzpatrick I was 8 and remember the fire and it was pretty scary. That 7am whistle was our alarm clock. Kay I also remember the one at 4 or was it 5 was our signal mom would be
home soon and we rushed around to get our chores done before she got home!
February 27 at 12:47pm ·
Thomas Repp hahaha remember that whistle well, and it still blows to this day, and the afternoon was a warning that we needed to be home and get ready for dinner, always ate at 4pm
February 27 at 7:47pm ·
Lorry K. Fitzpatrick Who else remembers they also sounded the whistle in certain blasts for fires. I remember hearing it and everyone saying "fire in the mill".
February 28 at 2:11pm ·
Jill Bennett Krebs It was also the call for the volunteer fire department.
February 28 at 2:42pm ·
Penny Shephard I found one of the pictures of the fire... still looking for others. This was taken from our back yard (Fowler)
Anne Pierce Aslin thanks Penny. this is looking east isnt it?
March 2 at 1:49pm ·
Penny Shephard Yes it is looking east.
March 2 at 1:55pm ·
John Edward Miller I'd say east-northeast :^)
March 2 at 7:18pm
Thomas Repp if the view is what i think there are all houses now how things change
March 2 at 9:55pm ·
John Pierce Thanks Penny. I wonder if that is Mom sitting?
March 3 at 6:28am ·
Karen Soash Beyl Several of us had ridden our horses to the Island for a picnic (very common thing to do during the summer for those of us who lived in the Pasadena Park area) .
The fire started across from us and I remember becoming concerned about the intensity. We decided we had better leave. our parents were on their way to make sure we were okay.
So exciting to watch all the fire engines until we realized how dangerous it was becoming for those of us just across the river.
March 3 at 5:32pm ·
From SpokesmanReview.com - More Valley memories (March 29, 2003):
I have lived here since 1932. We lived at the end of Ely on South River way on the south side of the river. I remember watching for logs coming down the river. Grandpa and Grandma had a row boat and when anyone saw a log just coming under the bridge at Argonne, we would holler that there was a log. They would take the boat out, tie on the log with a grappling hook and pull it in to shore. When the logs dried out they were cut up for our winter wood...
… We took the boat up the river the night the logs at the paper mill burned. They were stacked for some distance along the bank of the river. Once the fire got started, they just all burned. It was beautiful to watch but such a waste.
Doris Dean, Spokane Valley