Late-Night Commercial Fire Along Highway 18 Draws Third-Alarm Response

by Rebecca Wallis

McMinnville, OR – December 20, 2025

A late-night commercial structure fire along Highway 18 prompted a third-alarm response from the McMinnville Fire District on Friday night.

According to a press release from McMinnville Fire District Division Chief and Fire Marshal Ty Darby, firefighters were dispatched at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Friday, December 19, to a working commercial structure fire at the D Stake Mill property, located at 1726 Highway 18 in the 1700 block of the highway.

When crews arrived on scene, the fire caused extensive damage to the structure, which was fully involved upon arrival. Due to the intensity of the fire, the incident was quickly upgraded to a second alarm and then to a third alarm response.

Fire crews operated using a defensive firefighting strategy, focusing on containing the fire and protecting nearby buildings.

The property did not have on-site fire hydrants, creating additional challenges for suppression efforts. To support firefighting operations, nine water tenders responded and shuttled water from the City of McMinnville. In total, 23 pieces of equipment and six chief officers responded to the incident.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the McMinnville Fire District.

Photo Credit: McMinnville Fire District

This slideshow requires JavaScript.