A fire severely damaged the Columbia Vista Division sawmill in Vancouver, Washington, rendering the facility inoperable and halting all operations, Western Forest Products Inc. said in a statement. The mill produced 53 million board feet of Douglas Fir lumber in 2024, primarily serving Japan and U.S. customers, with Western stating the site is now inoperable due to extensive damage.
The company expressed appreciation for emergency responders and confirmed that no injuries occurred. Western also announced an ongoing investigation and support for affected employees. The company operates six sawmills with a combined lumber capacity of 780 million board feet, as well as four remanufacturing and two glulam facilities.
Western acquired the Columbia Vista sawmill and related assets from Columbia Vista Corporation for $30.5 million in 2019, including $6.7 million in working capital. At the time, Columbia Vista employed around 90 people.
