[VERNON, BC] January 18, 2013 – Clean-up efforts are underway at the oriented strand board (OSB) facility in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan following a fire that started overnight. The plant’s fire control system activated correctly and Tolko’s emergency team responded immediately. With assistance from the Meadow Lake Fire Department it took a few hours to bring the fire under control. No one was injured.
“Ensuring the safety of employees is always our first priority, and an evacuation order was issued,” said Parker Snyder, plant manager at Meadow Lake.
While the situation has been cleared by emergency responders, there is still a lot of smoke throughout the mill. “The cause is under investigation but it has been determined that it is not dust or explosion related,” said Snyder. “Clean-up is underway and we are currently reviewing the situation to determine how mill operations will be impacted.”
He continued, “We appreciate the quick action by our emergency response team and the Meadow Lake Fire Department. We will have our operations up again as soon as possible.”
Tolko directly employs approximately 150 employees at its mill in Meadow Lake and an associated contractor workforce. Tolko will provide an update once more information is available.
The Meadow Lake OSB facility is operated by Tolko Industries Ltd. and owned by the Meadow Lake OSB Limited Partnership, which includes Northwest Communities Holdings Ltd., Meadow Lake Tribal Council Resource Development Inc., CIC OSB Products Inc., and Tolko Industries Ltd.
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www.tolko.com
For further information please contact:
Jeanette Hoft, Communications Manager
Tolko Industries Ltd.
T 250 549 5341 | M 250 215 3623
jeanette.hoft@tolko.com
Maritza Reilly, Communications Coordinator
Tolko Industries Ltd.
T 250 550 2571 | M 250 308 8021
maritza.reilly@tolko.com
