B.C. sawmill fire kills one, sends 23 others to hospital

RCMP to conduct investigation

One person is dead and 23 others are injured after an explosion destroyed a sawmill in northern British Columbia on Monday night.

There were 25 people working at the Lakeland Mills sawmill when the blast occurred, and all of them are accounted for, RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass said in an interview Tuesday. Twenty-four were treated at the University Hospital in Prince George, according to the Northern Health Authority.

Six people are still in serious condition in a Prince George hospital, which is also where the death occurred early Tuesday, according to Northern Health. The B.C. Coroners service is investigating the death and is not releasing the identity of the deceased pending notification of next of kin, coroner Barb Mclintock said in a statement.

Two workers were airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital, where they are in the intensivecare unit. One was transferred to Victoria and is in intensive care at the Royal Jubilee hospital; the other went to Edmonton, a Northern Health spokesman said. An additional 13 injured were treated in Prince George and released, the health authority said. The workers’ injuries range from minor to severe burns, Douglass said.

There were another 25 workers at the facility’s planer mill who were not injured.

The sawmill portion of the plant has been destroyed, and fire crews’ efforts are focused on ensuring the fire doesn’t spread to other parts of the complex, said Prince George Fire Chief John Lane.

Douglass said it is too early to speculate about a cause.

The RCMP are hoping to interview as many people as possible and conduct a forensic investigation at the mill site when it is safe to do so, Douglass said.

Lane described the explosion as “catastrophic,” saying it was felt some distance away.

When fire crews arrived, workers were evacuating the building. Firefighters extricated other workers, Lane said.

Premier Christy Clark said she was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the explosion and fire, and that her thoughts were with the families, particularly the family of the deceased worker.

“I want (Prince George) Mayor Shari Green to know that her city has the full support of our government as they persevere through this terrible time.”

Morgan Andreychuk, for Postmedia News The fire at B.C.’S Lakeland Mill is reflected on the surface of the Nechako River late Monday. Explosions continued throughout the night as the fire burned through the mill.