Date: July 8, 2023
Location: Port Alberni, British Columbia (CA)
Address: 4000 Stamp Avenue, V9Y 5J7
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Wood Dust
Industry: Paper Mill (Pulp & Paper)
Equipment: Conveyor Belt System
Company: Paper Excellence
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to its website, Paper Excellence is a global pulp and paper company based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the largest pulp and paper producers in the world. The company is involved in various aspects of the paper industry, including pulp production, paper manufacturing, and distribution.
Incident Description:
On July 8, 2023, the Times Colonist reported a fire at a paper mill located in Port Alberni, British Columbia.
The incident began just before 3:00 p.m. when a barge carrying hog fuel caught fire. Initially, the majority of the fire was confined to a conveyor belt system used for unloading the barge with hog fuel. However, the windy conditions prevalent in the afternoon at the Port Alberni inlet caused embers to spread onto the surrounding land, igniting spot fires. Embers also managed to ignite a wooden building clad in metal.
Firefighters faced challenges due to the weather conditions, with hot and dry weather exacerbating the situation. Their primary focus was to prevent the fire from spreading further into the mill system. Once they gained control over the situation and extinguished the conveyor system fire, they began leaving the scene at around 7:00 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
Sources:
Times Colonist
