An incarcerated individual is suspected of intentionally setting fire to a new license plate production machine at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, according to the Washington State Department of Corrections.
The fire broke out around 3 p.m. Wednesday as staff and incarcerated workers were wrapping up a shift in the production building.
As smoke filled the space, corrections officers responded and found one of the facility’s blanking machines on fire.
Staff were able to put the fire out, and no one was hurt.
The machine was one of two recently purchased to modernize license plate manufacturing at the penitentiary.
It was destroyed in the fire, which DOC officials say appeared to be deliberately set.
A suspect has been identified, and a full investigation is underway.
Despite the damage, officials say Washington residents waiting on new license plates should not expect delays.
The facility has a backup blanking machine that remains operational.
According to DOC, that machine will require only minor cleaning before production resumes, and a replacement unit has already been ordered.
The penitentiary has produced the state’s license plates for more than a century.
However, in 2023 and 2024, Washington drivers faced frequent delays in receiving new plates due to outdated equipment and staffing challenges.
In an effort to address those issues, the Department of Corrections moved production from a minimum-security facility into the medium-security unit to allow more incarcerated individuals to take part in the work program.
The agency also purchased two new blanking machines to replace 50-year-old equipment—one of which was destroyed in Wednesday’s fire.
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