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From The Editor

Monday, January 23rd.

FIRE DESTROYS MILL

The small British Columbia interior town of Burns Lake is in shock this morning after an explosion and fire flattened the Babine Forest Products sawmill on Friday night. The accident sent 19 employees to hospital with varying degrees of injuries and two employees are missing.

Media reports on Monday morning said 31 employees were on the site when the explosion and fire occurred at around 8 PM on Friday, but a press release issued Monday morning by Portland, Ore.-based Hampton Affiliates, which co-owns the mill with local First Nations, said there were approximately 60 employees on site at the time, including 37 in the sawmill.

In the press release, Hampton said several Babine employees called 911 to report a serious accident at the sawmill. They also said it is believed that an explosion occurred, resulting in a fire that completely destroyed the sawmill.

Of the 19 injuries, the most serious cases are being treated at area hospitals including Burns Lake, Smithers, Prince George, Vancouver and Edmonton.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to our employees, their families and their supportive community,” said Steve Zika, Hampton CEO, who is on site to assess the damage and monitor the investigation. “We have had an overwhelming outpouring of support from the community, government leaders, labor, contractors and our competitors.”

The planer mill was not affected by the explosion or fire. “At this time our focus is on caring for our injured and grieving employees,” Zika added. “We are not speculating on the cause of the accident and will let the proper authorities complete their investigation. No decisions will be made on restarting the planer mill or rebuilding the sawmill until more facts are known and our employees are properly cared for.”

Hampton Affiliates is a family-owned forest products business that employs about 1,600 people, primarily in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The Babine Forest Products sawmill is a joint venture operated in conjunction with the Burns Lake Native Development Corporation.

Bill Tice, Editor

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