Operations at the Pinnacle Pellet plant in Houston are currently shut down due to a “fire-related event” that injured three employees Nov. 25.
In a statement, the company said the employees “sustained minor injuries and were taken to Smithers Hospital as a precautionary measure.”
Pinnacle also thanked emergency personnel.
“The Company expresses thanks to the first response personnel who attended the site,” the statement said. “WorkSafeBC and relevant authorities have been notified and a preliminary investigation is underway to determine the cause of the event.”
The company reported the fire started in the dryer area of the facility. Rumours of an ensuing explosion cannot be confirmed at this time.
No date for a resumption of operations has been set.
Fires and explosions are a perennial risk for pellet plant operations because they deal with a lot of wood dust.
Since 2014, Pinnacle has dealt with fires and/or explosions in a number of its plants including Houston, Burns Lake, Smithers, Lavington, Entwistle and Armstrong.
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