Miramichi Lumber catches fire

At about 5:45 pm tonight, Miramichi 911 operators got a call from Miramichi Lumber saying the mill was on fire and that it was going pretty good.  Two tankers were on scene within a few minutes.  The person who made the call was the hard working owner of MLPI, Danny Anderson.

The fire turned out to be a small one, but it was lucky Anderson was working late and spotted it. Anderson said he noticed the small fire just as he was leaving. The fire started on the green line, where the freshly cut wood leaves the mill on a conveyor. Anderson the damage is minimal, and will not delay the reopening of the mill on Monday.

Robert Barrieau, a saw mill employee who works on the green line where the firemen were spraying water, also came to the scene when he heard the mill was burning.   Barrieau said he had his fingers crossed all the way to the mill, hoping the fire wasn't bad.

"We've been laid off for a month, and I really need this job. I need the mill to start up next week like it was supposed to."

Barrieau says about 23 men work on the green line, and 30 - 40 more work inside. "I'm relieved," he said.

Danny Anderson was still at the mill at 7pm when MO))) reached him by phone. "We never close," he joked.

When asked if there was much damage, Anderson replied, "Our biggest problem is the provincial government."