A pile of burning debris is all that is left of thousands of logs at a West Fraser Log Yard in north Quesnel, but it appears the fire is under control a day after it started.
Fire crews are still on the scene Wednesday (Nov. 10), as sprinklers surround the still-active flames.
WATCH: Fire crews working to prevent spread of West Fraser log yard fire
West Fraser employees first spotted the fire around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9, according to an email update from Joyce Wagenaar, a West Fraser corporate spokesperson.
The fire soon ripped through thousands of logs, and shot flames hundreds of feet into the air, as fire crews fought to keep the Quesnel cemetery and the forest around it safe through the night.
The fire was whipped by wind gusts of up to 50 km/h, which blew flames and embers into the cemetery throughout the night.
The mill is running normally, and all employees are safe, Wagenaar noted, adding investigation into the cause of the fire will begin once it’s extinguished.
Thank you to the Quesnel Fire Department, Mutual Aid & all who responded to the major fire events in Quesnel last night & who continue to fight the West Fraser fire. Please be safe. @SlyGauthier pic.twitter.com/Vgtgl0iLQe
— Todd Doherty (@ToddDohertyMP) November 10, 2021
“Thank you to the firefighters including crews from Bouchie Lake, Quesnel, Barlow and Kersley, and everyone assisting us with this response,” it reads.
“We will provide updates as further information becomes available.”
The spokesperson said the fire could take several days to extinguish.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: cassidy.dankochik@quesnelobserver.com
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cassidy.dankochik@quesnelobserver.com
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