Week in Review : MAJOR EVENTS, IMAGES AND PEOPLE IN ORANGE COUNTY NEWS. : CITIES : Spared Once, Historic Building Falls to Fire

As the others had before, the Old Placentia Mutual Orange Growers Assn. packinghouse closed down in 1978, its citrus groves cut down for housing tracts, shopping centers and industrial parks.

But unlike the others, the 59-year-old packinghouse was saved from demolition by being declared a historic building. It was left standing as a reminder of Orange County’s history and was remodeled for use by small manufacturing firms.

The packinghouse’s reprieve lasted until last week. A fire broke out in the dark morning hours and, fed by stores of plastics kept inside, swept through the building’s old, dry wooden timbers.