Date: May 23, 2018
Location: Columbia Falls, Montana (USA)
Address: 500 12th Ave W, Columbia Falls, MT 59912
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Sawdust
Industry: Sawmill (Wood Products)
Equipment: Torches
Company: Weyerhaeuser Co.
Previous Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to Bloomberg, until 2016 Plum Creek Timber Co. Inc, was a privately-owned company with products including lumber, plywood, medium density fiberboard and related by-products such as wood chips. It was acquired by acquired by Weyerhaeuser Co, in February 2016. According to the Weyerhaeuser website, Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek merged in 2016, with an intention to create the world’s premier timber, land and forest products company.
The Weyerhaeuser Company purchased the Plum Creek Timber Company for a reported $8 billion. In June 2016, forestpolicypub and Montana Public Radio reported that Weyerhaeuser was intending to shut down the Plum Creek mill. The shutdown was completed on August 19, 2016, according to Montana Public Radio. 146 people were transferred to other mills in the valley, and 72 employees were laid off. Various sources speculated that the land would be used for real estate.
Description of Sawmill Fire:
On May 23, 2018, Daily Inter Lake reported that fire had heavily damaged an old sawmill in Columbia Falls, Montana that morning.
Firefighters arrived at the Plum Creek sawmill at about 12:30 am. Workers at the mill had been tearing out old equipment and had been using torches. Someone had been posted to act as fire watch until about 9:30 pm the previous night, but the fire is thought to have started after they left. When firefighters arrived, the sawmill lunchroom area was ablaze and flames were shooting from the front of the building.
The Columbia Falls Fire Chief commented that the blaze was challenging because of all the hot spots in the large building, which still contained a significant amount of sawdust. Holes in the floor where equipment had been removed were making operations particularly difficult, he said.
Firefighters from Evergreen, Bad Rock and Whitefish all responded, as did Three Rivers Ambulance and Columbia Falls Police. Firefighters remained on the scene for about four hours. No injuries were reported.
The old mill is part of Columbia Rising industrial park. Operations ceased at Plum Creek in August 2016.
On June 10, 2014, ABC-Fox Montana reported an explosion at the Plum Creek Timber Company plant in Columbia Falls, described at the time as a fibreboard plant. NBC Montana reported the local Sheriff as saying that all the workers had been accounted for. Neighbors in the area said they could see flames and smoke coming from the plant. There was no information as to the cause of the explosion.
An establishment search showed that the Plum Creek Timber Company had one violation for Health and Safety, but this did not involve fire or dust safety.
Sources:
Daily Inter Lake
Forestpolicypub
ABC-Fox Montana
NBC montana
Montana Public Radio (proposed sawmill closure)
Montana Public Radio (final sawmill closure)
OSHA (search for Plum Creek Timber Company)
