Operations at the Western Forest Products sawmill in Port Alberni, which came to a halt because of a fire Tuesday night, are expected to resume later this week. Company spokesperson Amy Spencer could not say where or how the fire started. “We can’t release those details until the investigation is complete, although there was a lot of speculation that it was in the head rig area.”
The incident drew the combined efforts of more than 30 firefighters, including members from the Sproat Lake and Beaver Creek volunteer fire departments and more than a dozen members of the Port Alberni Fire Department.
Most of the fire appeared to be in an exterior wall, which was made up of two-by-six wood construction clad with plywood.
No injuries were reported.
Elsewhere, the Morehead Fire Department in Kentuky battled a fire at Homer Gregory Lumber Company in Clearfield, KY, Thursday morning during a massive snow storm when a large load of lumber caught fire in a drying kiln.
As firefighters fought the blaze that started in a building used to dry and store wood, they also fought the extreme downfall of snow.
The building was a complete loss but the firefighters did manage to contain the blaze and put out the lumber that ignited.
