Campbell River fire crews were busy throughout the early hours of Sept. 10 dealing with a major structure fire at the old Catalyst Elk Falls Mill site.

“At 00:46 crews were dispatched to a report of a large outdoor fire at the site, and were quickly updated that the fire was actually a large, three-storey structure,” says deputy fire chief Thomas Doherty. “On arrival, crews confirmed the structure was fully involved with flames reaching 30 feet in the air. This particular building was in the process of demolition, which created some additional risks that the structure could collapse.”

Fire fighters from both Campbell River fire stations responded to the incident and initiated a defensive attack on the fire to contain it from spreading to other buildings.

It took approximately four hours to bring the blaze under control and crews remained on site throughout the night and into the morning to ensure there were no hot spots or additional flare ups.

Cause of the fire is under investigation.

News release