Residue From Costly Weekend Fire Still Cooling Off Damage Estimates Range As High As $12 Million In Factory Blaze

The charred remains of Sonderen Packaging are still too hot to touch.

The damage estimates for the cardboard and paper packaging factory, which roared with flames early Saturday, are $10 million to $12 million.

Fire officials say it is one of the costliest fires in Spokane’s history.

To get an idea how immense the blaze was, fire damages in Spokane for all of 1997 totaled $5 million.

Spokane Fire Marshal Garry Miller said according to records kept since 1932, the highest annual total was $8.5 million in 1982.

No one was hurt in the fire Saturday at 2906 N. Crestline.

Now, investigators are waiting for things to cool down before trying to determine a cause today or by later this week. A group of 12-15 agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been brought in to assist the Spokane Fire Department.

A team of two adjusters, two investigators, and an attorney for Sonderen’s insurer, Fireman’s Fund Insurance, also will investigate the cause, said the attorney, Dan Theveny.

Company owner Mark Sonderen is scrambling to find specialized equipment to replace his cardboard and paper cutting and gluing machines, and his printing press. The jobs of the 48 people employed there depend on how quickly he is able to purchase and ship the equipment here and get back into production, he said.

So far, he said he’s secured two machines costing a total of $1.1 million, and he’s hoping in the next two days to find a printing press for $1.5 million to $2 million.

Sonderen said he’s optimistic that negotiations with the insurance company will go well, and he’s hoping to be back in production in six to eight weeks at a temporary facility.

If not, some of his employees could be out of work, at least temporarily.

“I’m hoping by the end of the week we can say, ‘Hey, we’re OK,”’ Sonderen said.

The disaster could have been averted if the company had completed its plan to extend a sprinkler system through the entire building, Miller said. An addition to the factory has such a system, and Sonderen said he had planned to extend it within three months.

“If that had happened, we’d be talking about $1,000 worth of damage instead of $10 million,” Miller said.

Miller, Sonderen and Spokane ATF agent Lance Hart said the ATF’s involvement was routine in cases involving such a huge dollar amount.

Investigators do not suspect arson for the purpose of insurance fraud, and the ATF’s involvement is not for that reason, Miller said. Hart, however, said all possibilities will be considered.

The company’s employees will be kept on the payroll at least through next week by the company’s business-interruption insurance, Sonderen said.

Sonderen Packaging has been in Spokane since 1963, and has several employees with more than 15 years’ experience. A decision on whether people will be laid off will come Friday, Sonderen said.

“I’m strong and loyal to them and I’ll do whatever I can to keep these people employed,” Sonderen said.

Orders for the company’s 95-100 customers in the Spokane area will be filled by Sonderen’s competitors, Sonderen said. The company is now setting up trailers for temporary office space near the burned building, and is still taking orders to be handled temporarily through competitors.