TBFR Responds to Large Vehicle Fire at Resolute Saw Mill

Thunder Bay – NEWS – Thunder Bay Fire Rescue (TBFR) responded to a fire involving a large piece of equipment at the Resolute Saw Mill on Darrel Avenue at approximately 8:10 am this morning.

Platoon Chief John Kaplanis reports that the first arriving crews located a large loader type vehicle known as a Cat M325 on fire on the exterior of the mill in the wood yard portion of the facility. The vehicle was well involved in fire and mill staff were attempting to keep the fire from spreading to nearby log stock piles.

TBFR fire fighters immediately donned self-contained breathing apparatus and stretched additional fire hose lines from their apparatus to extinguish the vehicle fire using an offensive attack. The vehicle fire was stubborn as it was fueled by a large volume of on board diesel and hydraulic fluid. Unable to save the burning vehicle, fire-fighters were however able to prevent the vehicle fire from spreading to an adjacent log pile.

Damage to the piece of equipment on the Resolute Saw Mill was extensive however there were no injuries to mill staff or fire fighters. TBFR Platoon Chief John Kaplanis credited Resolute mill staff for their efforts for using their Saw Mill fire hose to apply water to protect a large volume of wood supply adjacent to the burning vehicle prior to the arrival of TBFR fire-fighting crews.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and mechanical in nature. Mill staff remained on site to clear up the burnt out vehicle and oversee the mitigation of environmental contamination concerns.

A total of 4 Pumper truck crews and 1 Platoon Chief Unit responded to the mill to bring this fire under control.