Pellet plant fire probe

Photo: Darren Handschuh

UPDATE: 6:20 P.M.

Coldstream Fire Chief Dave Sturgeon said fire crews are mopping up after a fire in the dryer building at the Pinnacle pellet plant in Lavington.

“We're investigating and dousing hot spots,” Sturgeon said, almost two hours after 24 firefighters from the Lavington and Coldstream departments arrived on scene.

“Smoke was billowing out of the roof, out of vent holes (upon arrival),” said Sturgeon. “We went inside but couldn't get to the burner, it was too hot, so we took a different approach to get in.”

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and took a “slow and meticulous” way into the furnace-type metal building in order to be safe. No one was injured.

Sturgeon said the cause of the fire has not been determined and may be difficult to discover.

“It is all metal within metal,” he said.

UPDATE: 5:40 P.M.

Fire crews from Coldstream and Lavington raced to the scene Tuesday afternoon after a blaze broke out at the Pinnacle pellet plant in Lavington.

An RCMP officer on the scene said heavy smoke was seeping out of the roof of the dryer building, where the wood pellets are treated, when responders first arrived. By 5 p.m., the smoke could be seen coming from just one section of the metal roof.

No one was injured, said the officer.

However there was a large presence of emergency vehicles. At least four fire trucks lined one side of the building while another sat beside an ambulance by the doorway to the dryer.

Fire crews in full gear, including breathing apparatus, were seen leaving the building.

A fire broke out at the Pinnacle Pellet Plant in Lavington, Tuesday afternoon.

RCMP, emergency health services and the Lavington and Coldstream fire departments were called to the plant at 4:20 p.m.

Emergency crews found heavy smoke seeping out of the corner of the roof of the building. 

The fire reportedly began in a dryer used to dry the wood pellets. 

There have been no injuries reported at this time.