Bend blaze costs $1 million

Bend blaze costs $1 million
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Aug. 14, 2002

A massive Saturday afternoon fire in the Big Bend region of Burnaby destroyed an estimated $1 million worth of recycled paper and very nearly closed one of the oldest industrial operations in the city.
Investigators are still trying to determine what started the blaze at the Norampac paper recycling mill at the foot of Wiggins Road, says acting assistant fire chief Bruce Kendrick.
"This was no small fire," said Kendrick, who noted that more than 40 firefighters, 15 fire trucks, a fireboat, the Coast Guard hovercraft and several other vessels were called to the scene after the initial call came in around 2:30 p.m.
A five-acre field of recycled paper tied up in bales was destroyed and firefighters were concerned the blaze could have easily spread to the paper mill itself plus neighbouring businesses.
"We were hampered by a strong breeze from up the river," Kendrick said. "Our first attack was to keep the fire from encroaching on the building, but with the whole yard burning, we did get a wharf fire, too."
One major problem was the lack of fire hydrants in the Big Bend region, resulting in water being pumped up to 3,000 feet away from the nearest city water main. Burnaby engineering crews were also called to the scene to open several older water mains in order to maintain enough water pressure.
"We had to hook up to the hydrants and pump the water from one truck to another truck and another truck," said Kendrick, who also called in heavy front end loaders to break up the smoldering bales of recycled paper, which otherwise would have just continued burning.
"When a fire gets into the core of the bale and starts to smolder, no amount of water will get in there to put it out," he said. "It's tough work, because it takes so long."
About 15 employees were working at the time the fire was reported. Nobody was injured in the blaze.
Officials with Norampac and its parent companies in Quebec were to issue a statement late Tuesday, after Burnaby NOW deadlines.