Category Archives: Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Other - Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Lexington, KY – Fire at wood truss manufacturer controlled by sprinkler system

Lexington firefighters believe dry conditions may have contributed to the quick spread of a fire Tuesday night that damaged the Bluegrass Truss Co building on Lima Drive.

The fire department got a call from the building’s alarm company about 6:20 p.m. about smoke alarms going off, Battalion Chief Mark Harvey said. One person was in the building and called to confirm there was a fire when he saw the warehouse was filling with smoke.

Harvey said the fire likely started in a container for discarded cigarettes. The fire was ruled as an accident. The flames spread quickly up a side wall and into the roof and trusses, Harvey said. The sprinkler system helped keep the fire under control until firefighters arrived.

The building was damaged, but it would probably be able to be repaired quickly, Harvey said. Wind and dry conditions have led to a city-wide burn ban that will continue into Wednesday. Harvey said those conditions may have led to the quick spread of the fire on Lima Drive.

The fire department responded to several mulch fires throughout the day Tuesday that were also thought to be a result of dry conditions.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Springfield, OR – Sawmill fire contained with help from sprinkler system

Twenty-one firefighters responded Wednesday afternoon to a fire in the planing mill section of the Rosboro Lumber Co. mill at 2509 Main St. The fire was reported at 3:18 p.m. and declared under control by 4:30 p.m., Eugene Springfield Fire Department officials said. The planing mill section has been shut down, but the rest of the mill is operational, officials said.

No employees or firefighters were reported injured. The cause of the fire, and estimated damage loss, were not immediately known.

The mill’s fire sprinkler system helped control the fire, Meigs said, but firefighters had to use a thermal imaging system to spot isolated cases where the fire was spreading through the ceiling. Battalion Chief Ben Meigs said the amount of sawdust in the mill may have contributed to the spread of the fire, which “traveled up the walls, and up the ceilings.”

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Merritt, BC, Canada – Sprinklers help contain sawmill fire; Operations resume same day

Merritt Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Tolko sawmill around 1:30 Saturday afternoon.  Fire Chief Dave Tompkinson says a hydraulic oil tank was on fire.

“Prior to firefighters arriving, the sprinkler system had activated. The sawmill employees had actioned the fire with extinguishers and a hose line,” says Tompkinson. The fire was inside the the plant, and spread to some machinery above.

Tomkinson says, as the fire department was leaving, the sawmill was already getting back up and running. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Eau Claire, WI – Overnight machine fire at paper plant controlled by sprinkler system

An early morning fire at the Cascades Tissue Group plant on Forest Street was quickly brought under control by Eau Claire firefighters.

The fire was reported at 1:11 a.m., and firefighters arrive to find heavy smoke in a building. The fire in a machine had activated the building’s sprinkler system, which kept the fire under control until crews arrived.

Firefighters had the fire under control in about 20 minutes. One plant worker was evaluated at the scene by paramedics.No damage estimate is available. The cause of the fire remains under investigation

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Burlington, IA – Sprinkler system credited with containing fire at printing company

Firefighters responded to a fire at Doran & Ward Printing Company, located at 2811 Mt. Pleasant St. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. The fire reportedly started in an office. It activated a sprinkler head, which fire officials say kept the fire from spreading.

Employees evacuated the building and firefighters used a fire extinguisher to put out the remaining flames. The fire was out by 3:51 a.m.

The investigation revealed that the fire started in a light fixture in a small office located in the plant, causing melting plastic to drop down onto a desk and chair.
Damage was contained to the office area and is estimated to be less than $4,000. Employees returned to work a short time later.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Lincoln, ME – Sprinklers help contain fire at Lincoln Wood Shavings Mill

A fire broke out at LMJ Enterprises in Lincoln around 6 a.m. The mill, located in the former Haskell Lumber facility on Main Street, makes wood shavings for animal bedding.

There was extensive heat and water damage inside the building, according to fire fighters.

Authorities tell TV-5 the fire was burning for several hours before they arrived. The building’s sprinkler system kept the flames from 15doing more damage.

The fire is not considered suspicious and the Fire Marshal’s office has been called in to determine a cause.

 

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Port Moody, BC – Sprinkler system contains fire at sawmill; No injuries

No one was injured following an explosion and fire at a Port Moody sawmill early Tuesday morning.

Firefighters received a call at 2:30 a.m. that there was a fire at the Flavelle Sawmill. It turns out that a nitrogen tank that was part of a hydraulic system had exploded, due to a nearby fire.

When crews arrived, there was a small fire at the mill, but the sprinkler system had activated and contained the fire.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause.

The explosion did blow a “significant hole” in the sawmill wall, according to the PMFD.

Workers were on break at the time so there was no one in the area.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Chillicothe, OH – Sprinklers help contain fire at Glatfelter building

A fire broke out inside a Glatfelter building Tuesday afternoon that had crews dousing hot spots for over an hour and a half.

Chillicothe Fire Department Assistant Chief Steve Gallagher said the department got the call at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Despite having the flames contained shortly before 1:00 p.m., crews stayed on the scene to continue to douse any areas that could be considered hot spots, due to the amount of wood by-products in the area.

According to Gallagher, the fire was in the building where the company processes wood chips, but was a “basic building fire.”

The biggest struggle for crews, Gallagher said, was the height of the building and getting up high enough to douse the flames from above. Gallagher said the sprinkler system helped in the quick containment of the fire.

At this time, Gallagher said they do not have an estimate on the damage.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Port Townsend, WA – Sprinkler system handles small fire at paper mill

 Emergency personnel responded to a fire around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Port Townsend Paper Corp. No one was injured. There was minor damage to equipment and the machine was expected to be back up and running Tuesday night. General Manager Carr Tyndall, on vacation in South Carolina, said Tuesday afternoon that sprinklers had gone off when a fire started in a dryer section on Paper Machine No. 2. East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) was called as a precaution.

Kevin Scott, director of sustainability at the mill, and Bill Beezley, public information officer at EJFR, confirmed that firefighters and medics arrived as support. Beezley said that crews were dispatched to “heavy black smoke near the northernmost smoke stack.” Responding crews reported that fire had broken out in dust on top of the second paper machine and that the mill’s sprinkler system had extinguished it by the time the crew arrived.

“EJFR firefighters spent some time hitting hot spots and mopping up before departing 45 minutes later,” Beezley said. “Paper Machine No. 2 is down for now. And it’s probably going to be another three hours for cleaning,” Tyndall said of being told there was no significant damage. He said the sprinkler heads would need to be replaced.

Tyndall said it would not surprise him if paper dust in the third dryer section caught on fire. He said that was common. Flames were initially reported being visible from a roof, then only black smoke was visible, as of 10:10 a.m.

The flames had been “knocked down” as of 10:14 a.m., according to responder traffic heard on JeffCom dispatch. The mill has two machines that produce kraft paper products.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

Union Gap, WA – Fire at paper mill controlled by sprinkler system

Yakima fire crews say a fire at the International Paper company in Union Gap Tuesday morning could have been much worse if it weren’t for their working sprinkler system.

A news release from the fire department said people reported seeing smoke coming from the roof of the building. The fire remained on one part of the plant, a dust collecting hopper, because the automatic sprinkler system kicked on and helped maintain the flames.

Fire crews put out the fire and cleaned up debris from the damage. The cost of the damage is not known at this time. Yakima firefighters say the cause was a hot ember that got into the dust collection hopper.

The news release from the fire department also said the whole building could have been a total loss if they did not have a functioning sprinkler system in place.