Firefighters from Nelson were called out to a fire at the Eagle Ridge Lumber Mill yesterday. A passing driver noticed smoke pouring out of a building in the northwest corner and called 911. Four crews arrived 15 minutes later and were helped by workers on duty at the time. They struggled for several hours to put out the stubborn blaze, but flames soon spread, and crews had to retreat and watch the mill burn to the ground. No one can say these men gave anything but their best effort.

Complicating efforts was the fact no hydrants were nearby, and crews had to wait for pumper trucks to arrive. This delayed their work. It's a sad state of affairs when funding cuts at City Hall meant new hydrants could not be installed this year. Council really let the citizens of Nelson down on this issue. The manager at the mill said he had written City Hall several times asking for hydrants to be installed, saying this was a serious safety issue.

The situation could have been much, much worse. Several workers were discovered to be missing and possibly trapped in the first burning building. Firefighters searched frantically for them. The missing workers were later found in another part of the mill, helping to put out a smaller fire. They probably should have let the others know where they were. No one was injured, though all the workers and firefighters were probably exhausted and hungry after their long day.

Investigators think faulty wiring in a storage shed is to blame. Damage is estimated at approximately 2.5 million dollars. It is unsure when the mill will re-open for business.