Norbord fire contained at Alberta OSB mill
10 May 2016Norbord Inc reports that a fire the company experienced at its OSB mill in High Level, Alberta the afternoon of May 4, has been contained by fire crews.
The fire broke out in the mill yard which, as a result of the hot, dry, windy weather conditions in northern Alberta, quickly spread to the log storage area outside the plant.
As a precaution, Norbord immediately suspended production at the mill.
Fire crews, including helicopters, have been on site and the fire was contained to the log storage area outside. Norbord is in the process of assessing damage to the mill and the impact to its production schedule.
All non-essential mill employees were safely evacuated and no injuries have been reported.
The High Level, Alberta mill has a stated annual production capacity of 860 million ft2 (3/8in basis) and has been ramping up towards full production since resuming operations in late 2013.
High Level is located approximately 720km northwest of Edmonton and 400km west of Fort McMurray.
The fire is not believed to be related to any forest fires in the surrounding area.
