Fire in Armstrong!

An accident has started a large fire in a hog field at the Tolko sawmill in Armstrong, B.C.  The BC Ministry of Forestry was called at around 3 p.m.  Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper saw a plume of smoke around 4 p.m. and drove to the scene.  “It was a big fire,” Pieper said. “It's not a little fire. The hog field pile — the bark debris from the barking operations — that was what was on fire. There were some logs from the log yard on fire as well. I didn't see any buildings on fire.”

It is believed the flames spread into several spot fires. RCMP have forced the evacuation of a trailer park on the other side of the street from Highway 97A and closed a five-kilometre section of the highway in both directions.

The BC Ministry of Forestry is on site with 11 firefighters, two helicopters and fixed-wing air tankers. The RCMP and firefighters from surrounding detachments, including Vernon, Swan Lake and Enderby are also battling the blaze.

An emergency centre has been set up at Spallumcheen municipal hall.

Canadian-owned Tolko Industries Ltd. is major producer of and marketer of lumber, veneer, plywood, oriented strand board and kraft papers, with manufacturing operations across Western Canada, according to the company's website.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Major+fire+Armstrong+sawmill+trailer+park+evacuations+underway/3264272/story.html#ixzz0tQtRFxmr