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Power line sparks fire at mill

An early morning fire had Hall 1 and 2 firefighters scrambling.
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The Canoe Forest Products mill.

An early morning fire had Hall 1 and 2 firefighters scrambling.

Salmon Arm Fire Chief Brad Shirley says they received a call of power lines down at the plywood mill at Canoe Forest Products. Held up briefly by a train, firefighters arrived to find a small crane on fire and a power pole arcing and sparking.

“We immediately upgraded the fire as there was sawdust on the ground,” says Shirley. “It was a quick response but we couldn’t start suppressing the fire until the power was shut down.”

Shirley says firefighters wet the area around the pole and crane to prevent the fire from spreading and waited approximately 30 minutes for the lines to be de-energized.

Fire crews were on scene for two-and-a-half hours.

“The fire is under investigation but possibly a piece of machinery hit the pole and caused the wire to come down,” Shirley says.