The Southcoast Reman lumber mill was back in operation on Monday, after a fire had shut it down early July 17.
“It could have been more serious,” said general manager Chris Luke, who was appreciative of a fast response by Maple Ridge firefighters.
The fire started at approximately 4 a.m. at the mill, which is located at 23347 McKay Ave.
“They got here right away, and they got it under control very quickly,” he said.
The fire was in the sawdust and shavings bunker, which is typically an area where there can be fire hazard, said Luke.
In about 50 per cent of sawmill fires in B.C., sawdust is listed as the material which first caught fire, according to the B.C. Fire Commissioner.
Onlookers could see flames and sparks shooting into the sky from a conveyor belt over the bunker.
Maple Ridge firefighters got a hose over the fire using a ladder truck, attacking the flames from above.
Luke said the hot and dry conditions may have been a factor, but were not the cause of the fire.
“Damage was, in the big scheme of things, fairly minor,” he said.