A fire started at Tolko’s High Prairie division at 5 a.m. MT on May 20, 2022. The mill was evacuated, and the local fire department worked to extinguish the fire.

One employee was injured in the fire, and after assessed at the hospital was sent home to recover.

As part of Tolko’s established procedures, a structural engineer was called to assess the site to determine when it is safe to begin repairs.

From an initial investigation, the fire appears to have started when a small pipe carrying thermal oil broke, and the thermal oil ignited. The investigation will continue. Tolko believes that the fire suppression systems helped to keep the fire contained to the press area so it did not migrate to other areas of the mill.

Information provided by Tolko Industries/Facebook page