Chipper fire quickly extinguished

The Tribe’s Emergency Services Department responded swiftly on Wednesday afternoon, July 24, to a report of a fire in a chipper at Coastal Fibre Inc. outside Willamina.

Emergency Services Public Information Officer Mariah Walters told Smoke Signals the fire, which started inside the chipper, was called in by people who were driving past the mill.

“The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation,” Walters said.

The department sent two water tenders, two engines, one ambulance and two command vehicles.

“Water was on the fire within one minute of our crews arriving, with the fire considered out within nine minutes,” Walters said.

Because of the confined location and swift response, there was a fairly low danger of it spreading to the nearby structures or vegetation, she noted.

Walters added that the Tribe has nine of its personnel deployed to other fires around the state.

“We are proud to be able to provide this level of service,” she said.