By Kathy Gallant

Update: Fire near Mechanical Pulp extinguished, highways reopened

Aug 17, 2018 | 4:35 PM

A spokesperson for SaskEnergy has confirmed the fire that was burning near the Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp Mill and NorSask Forest Products is out, though crews remain checking the area.

Highway 903 is now open for traffic and Highway 55 is mostly open, with some restrictions minor restrictions.

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Emergency crews are redirecting traffic and evacuating near the Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp Mill, about nine kilometres east of the city.

Fire and police personnel are on the scene of what appears to be a natural gas leak and fire.

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Deputy fire Chief Joe Grela said responders are keeping a close eye on the situation and have evacuated staff from the mill and surrounding area.

The public is being asked to avoid the area around Highway 55 and Highway 903.

Cpl. Dean Kabaroff with the Meadow Lake RCMP said police, fire and EMS are on scene along with SaskPower and SaskEnergy. Traffic is being rerouted at this time. Kabaroff said no structures are on fire, nor are there any injuries. 

Vanessa Gooliaff-Beaupre, supervisor of media and government relations with SaskEnergy, confirmed there was a fire at SaskEnergy’s outbuilding structure, and not a gas leak.

“SaskEnergy is on scene,” she said. “There is a piece of equipment called a line heater that regulates gas before it enters a building so we’re there to shut off the gas to that building.”

She said once the gas is turned off, local crews should be able to fight the fire more safely, and added SaskEnergy will be doing a full investigation into the cause of the incident in the coming days and weeks Employees from the mill, as well as NorSask Forest Products and Mistik Management which are directly across the road, were also evacuated.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath