LONGVIEW, Wash. — The Easter Sunday fire that started in a bark dust pile later engulfed the entire 80-acre site of Swanson Bark and Wood Products along Tennant Way and continued smoldering at midday Monday, according to Longview fire officials.

“Buildings, machinery, vehicles and conveyors were damaged and/or destroyed. Firefighters deployed multiple hand lines and two aerial ladder trucks, flowing in excess of 2.5 million gallons of water in their suppression efforts. The incident commander requested a firefighting helicopter to assist, but none were locally available,” according to a fire department press release issued late Monday morning.

“Strong winds out of the northwest coupled with access issues to the multiple piles of recyclables, smoke and visibility challenges and the available water supply all created difficult tactics and strategies for firefighters. With the other active fires, staffing was also below normal,” the press release added.

Swanson Bark and Wood Products turns wood waste into firewood, mulch, bark dust, soils and biomass. Smaller fires there are common because of heat generated by the composting and decomposition process. For this reason, staff at Swanson use temperature probes to assess the risk, according to fire officials.

A passerby reported the fire at 2:37 p.m. Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue already was fighting fires on Ragland Road in the Coal Creek area and Astro Drive in the Ostrander area, limiting the initial number of personnel that could respond.

Eventually, firefighters from Longview, Kalama, Cowlitz Fire District 1, Cowlitz 2 Fire and Rescue and Woodland fought the Swanson Bark fire, marshaling water pumpers, ladder trucks, water tenders and brush rigs.

Firefighters have yet to complete an investigation, and no damage estimates were available at this time. No staff or firefighter injuries were reported.

Although fire suppression wrapped up at 4 a.m. Monday, dozens of bark and wood products piles were still smoldering, creating a smoke cloud that continues its wind-driven drift, according to fire officials.

Swanson Bark staff is conducting mop up fire suppression and has contracted with two helicopter services to assist.

“It is expected that this fire could smolder for days, and if winds pick up, active fire could again be encountered,” the fire department press release said.