Date: June 1, 2018
Location: Prince George, British Columbia (Canada)
Address: Willow Cale Forest Rd, V2N 7A8
Type: Potential Dust Fire
Fuel: Unknown
Industry: Wood Pellet Manufacturing
Equipment: Blower Fan
Company: Pacific BioEnergy
Previous Incidents: Wood Pellet Fire, August 25, 2017
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to their website, Pacific BioEnergy has been a leader of British Columbia’s wood pellet industry since they began production in 1994. They use residual fibre from sawmills that would have previously been discarded and turn that material into a carbon-neutral renewable fuel designed to replace coal and other fossil fuels. The Prince George facility was expanded in 2010 in order to increase overall production and provide a distinct improvement in environmental controls.
Description of Fire at Wood Pellet Plant, Prince George, British Columbia:
Overheated equipment appears to be the cause of a small fire at a British Columbia pellet plant. Firefighters from four different stations were called the Pacific BioEnergy pellet plant in Prince George, according to the Prince George Citizen.
The overheated blower fan in a cooler exhaust stack was the location of the fire and onsite crews worked to contain the fire, however, the fire department was called when smoke began to move to an adjacent production building. The embers were extinguished and both firefighters and plant staff worked to cool the vessels and blow pipes at the facility.
While no one was injured, there was some structural damage to the exhaust stack which needed to be replaced, according to the company. No one was injured during the fire or the subsequent demolition process carried out.
This was not the first time that firefighters have been called to the Prince George facility. On August 25, 2017 crews worked at removing pellets from the silo and replaced it with an inert gas in an effort to avoid flare-ups. No one was injured in either incidents.