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Early morning fire shuts down Smithers-Telkwa dump

Regional District of Bulkley Nechako expects to be able to reopen on Friday morning
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Telkwa and Smithers fire departments responded to a fire in a trailer inside the Smithers-Telkwa Waste Transfer Station early on the morning of June 17. (Brad Layton photo)

The Smithers-Telkwa Waste Transfer Station is temporarily closed following an early morning fire June 17.

Telkwa fire chief Laurence Turney said his crew responded to a call at around 4 a.m. and discovered the trailer the station uses for processing trash inside the building was ablaze.

Firefighters battled the flames for approximately two-and-half hours with some water supply support from Smithers Fire Rescue.

Turney said fire damage was restricted to the trailer, but the building sustained heat and smoke damage. Telkwa Fire Rescue recommended the station be closed until the damage could be assessed.

Following an assessment, the Regional District reported it expects to be able to reopen the dump on Friday.

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It is also unknown at this time whether the trailer is damaged beyond repair. Turney said they will be removing it from the building this afternoon to determine the extent of the damage.

Smithers CAO Alan Harris said the Town has canceled garbage pickup for today and tomorrow with the intention of collecting it during the next cycle.

Telkwa director of operations Lev Hartfeil said the impact on the village is minimal. Telkwa will be picking up garbage today and tomorrow as scheduled and diverting it to the Knockholt Sub-Regional Landfill 12 km east of Houston.

The cause of the fire is still uncertain at this time.

More to come.



editor@interior-news.com

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Thom Barker

About the Author: Thom Barker

After graduating with a geology degree from Carleton University and taking a detour through the high tech business, Thom started his journalism career as a fact-checker for a magazine in Ottawa in 2002.
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