Crews limit damage from fire at International Paper facility due to quick response
August 24, 2020
ALBERTA, Canada (From news reports) -- Firefighters brought a weekend fire quickly under control at International Paper while limiting damage to equipment in the wood room and an area of a chip pile.
At about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, the Dunes and Clairmont Stations responded to a reported structure fire at the International Paper wood room building.
Upon arrival, the regional fire service assisted the International Paper Fire Brigade with an equipment fire inside the wood room, a fire on top of a chip pile and several outdoor spot fires in the area of the wood room building and chip pad.
Resources were also dispatched from the Grovedale, Wembley and Sexsmith Fire Departments.
"An immediate call for additional resources and prompt action by the International Paper Fire Brigade prevented further damage to the wood room, spread in the chip pile area and further extension resulting from spot fires," said Regional Fire Service Deputy Chief Jason Nesbitt in a release.
"The regional fire service has an excellent working relationship with International Paper and regularly visits the site for familiarization and training. By doing these pre-planning events, our service and regional partners are prepared to respond to any type of emergency at the International Paper Pulp Mill."
The regional fire service says the fire likely originated in the wood room equipment before spreading through the chip blower system to the chip pile. Due to high winds that day, embers blew off the chip pile and ignited several small spot fires in the area.
No injuries as a result of the fire were reported.
The County Fire Marshall is now investigating the cause of the blaze.
