Firefighters spent more than 12 hours battling a blaze at the Elite Forest Products mill in Malakwa on Thursday.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 big,含羞草研究社� said an exhausted Sean Coubrough, Columbia Shuswap Regional District fire services co-ordinator, attempting to estimate the size of the structure fire at the mill he and Malakwa, Swansea Point and Sicamous fire crews spent the day getting under control. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 bigger than I含羞草研究社檓 used to estimating含羞草研究社� I含羞草研究社檇 say it looks like two football fields in length and maybe one of them burned.含羞草研究社�
Coubrough said firefighters were paged around 5:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 9, and Malakwa firefighters were first on scene at the mill, located off Lybarger Road.
含羞草研究社淲hen we arrived on scene含羞草研究社� we had quite a large building partially involved, with flames showing and smoke showing含羞草研究社�,含羞草研究社� said Coubrough. 含羞草研究社淚t was venting through the roof with heavy black, thick smoke.含羞草研究社�
Coubrough said it was quickly learned the mill wasn含羞草研究社檛 operational, and there was no else onsite, leaving firefighters to focus their effort on a defensive attack of the exterior.
含羞草研究社淲e were not going inside the building 含羞草研究社� by the time we had arrived, the structure was compromised to a degree that it was not safe for us to put crews inside含羞草研究社�,含羞草研究社� said Coubrough. 含羞草研究社淲e called it, 含羞草研究社榟it it hard from the yard含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可绂 Preventing the spread was our number one priority.含羞草研究社�
Coubrough said there were some issues with access, as the roads into the mill hadn含羞草研究社檛 been plowed and were tricky to navigate. Also, a fire control system onsite was not operational, meaning water had to be hauled to the scene.
含羞草研究社淲e were forced to do shuttle runs with our tenders, running back and forth grabbing water, dumping it into a bladder and then sucking it up into the trucks,含羞草研究社� explained Coubrough. 含羞草研究社淭here were some concerns with getting water, but once things were set up it was working pretty well.含羞草研究社�
The attack continued throughout the day. At about 4:30 p.m., Coubrough said the fire was under control and crews were in the mop-up stage.
含羞草研究社淭he fact it含羞草研究社檚 structurally compromised, we won含羞草研究社檛 be putting crews in to do a proper structural overhaul, we have to do it from the outside,含羞草研究社� said Coubrough. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 going to leave a few hotspots, but nothing to worry about at this point in time. The manager of the mill will be put on a fire watch, that means we含羞草研究社檙e asking him once every hour to take a look around and if he does notice it start spreading, he can give 911 call and get us back out here.含羞草研究社�
Despite the size and intensity of the blaze, Coubrough said firefighters were still able to save half the structure and some heavy equipment within.
含羞草研究社淎bout half of the building we were able to save, which, considering the extent of the fire when our crews arrived on scene is no small feat,含羞草研究社� said Coubrough, adding the site含羞草研究社檚 manager, Ray Hansen, seemed pleased, having expected a complete loss.
A smaller structure at the Elite Forest Products mill caught fire in 2015.
