A styrofoam fire last night (April 8) at the Woodmere Tree Nursery in Telkwa is now under control and a resultant air quality advisory for the Bulkley Valley has been lifted.
At approximately 8:45 p.m. Thursday Telkwa Fire Rescue responded to a fire call that was creating a large amount of billowing black smoke.
Telkwa fire chief Laurence Turney said the fire started in a pile of scrap wood and spread to styrofoam blocks the nursery uses for seedlings.
The blaze was significant enough to warrant bringing in Smithers Fire Rescue to help battle it.
There were no injuries and no damage to the business itself, although Turney said a backhoe parked in the area sustained some damage.
Because smoke from styrofoam releases toxic chemicals an alert was issued immediately notifying residents of the danger.
“Heavy smoke from recent fires will likely aggravate breathing and vision concerns for some residents,” it said.
The nursery and fire department had discussed a controlled burn of the woodpile, Turney said, but Woodmere said they did not start it.
What caused it has not yet been determined.
- with files from Thom Barker
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deb.meissner@interior-news.com
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