UPDATED Powell River Fire Rescue firefighters spent the better part of the evening of Thursday, June 13, battling a paper machine blaze at Catalyst Paper Corporation, Powell River division.
“With a lot of mill fires, we get down there and it’s quick knockdown and mop up,” said deputy fire chief Terry Peters. “But you get the odd one, like this one, where we were going to be there for the night.”
Firefighters were called to the scene at the No. 11 machine in the mill just before 6 pm and did not leave the location until midnight.
Catalyst fire suppression crews had been battling the fire but after smoke conditions worsened inside the machine room they called the fire department to assist.
“We called a full evacuation of the machine room for heavy smoke conditions,” said Peters. “Full breathing apparatus had to be worn.”
The fire, which started in the wet-end of the machine, took time to put out because it kept spreading throughout the various air ducts, electrical and hydraulic lines in the machine.
“At first it was quite problematic for us with electrical hazards as a safety concern,” Peters said. “Problem hot spots kept re-igniting and the fire got into the dryer vents.”
By midnight the fire crews had the blaze out. “It was a good cooperative effort,” said Peters.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, though Catalyst crews were treated for smoke inhalation as a preventive measure.
Brian Johnston, Catalyst Powell River mill manager, said damage from the fire was limited to the No. 11 paper machine and while that machine was shut down for repairs over the weekend, the rest of the mill continued to operate. By Monday morning, Johnston expected the No. 11 machine to be back up and producing paper.
Catalyst crews worked over the weekend to replace damaged wet and dry felts, some of the paper machine’s rolls in the press section and some pneumatic and electrical control tubing.
Johnston said that this fire did not cause anywhere close to the damage that a fire in May 2011 caused which damaged mill electronics and caused a two-week shutdown.
Over the weekend Catalyst continued to prepare for its 10-day scheduled power boiler shutdown.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Powell River Fire Rescue firefighters spent the better part of the evening of Thursday, June 13, battling a paper machine blaze at Catalyst Paper Corporation, Powell River division.
“With a lot of mill fires, we get down there and it’s quick knockdown and mop up,” said deputy fire chief Terry Peters. “But you get the odd one, like this one, where we were going to be there for the night.”
Firefighters were called to the scene at the No. 11 machine in the mill at just before 6 pm and did not leave the scene until midnight.
Catalyst fire suppression crews had been battling the fire but after smoke conditions worsened inside the machine room they called the fire department to assist.
“We called a full evacuation of the machine room for heavy smoke conditions,” said Peters. “Full breathing apparatus had to be worn.”
The fire, which started in the wet-end of the machine, took time to put out because it kept spreading throughout the various air ducts, electrical and hydraulic lines in the machine.
“At first it was quite problematic for us with electrical hazards as a safety concern,” he said. “Problem hot spots kept re-igniting and the fire got into the dryer vents.”
By midnight the fire crews had the blaze out, and this morning Catalyst is assessing the damage.
“It was a good cooperative effort,” said Peters.
No injures were reported as a result of the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
