Update: Fire at Stella-Jones pole yard caused by winds whipping up burn

Update: 10:30 p.m., Monday, May 2

Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services Chief Rob Girard said the fire at the Stella-Jones pole yard west of Revelstoke was caused by a controlled burn gone wrong.

In a media statement, Girard said that sometime after 4 p.m. the “wind picked up causing sparks to blow into the mill area.”

A loader pulls charred poles from the fire at the Stella-Jones lot. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer

This caused the large fire in the yard that was prominent this afternoon from Revelstoke. The fire burned a bark pile, some brush, and stacks of poles at the mill, which produces wooden utility poles. Crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading to steep forested slopes nearby.

About 20 Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services members and two forests ministry initial attack crews battled the large blaze at the pole yard.

LINK: Here’s a quick video from the fire. Sorry, it’s sideways:

A Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services video from the site

“Without this unified fire fight and the resources each service brought to this fire it could have been significantly different fire,” Girard said in a media statement. “I am very pleased with everyone’s effort.”

A firefighter sprays water onto the burning bark pile near the debarking building at the Stella-Jones lot west of Revelstoke. Photo: Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services

Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services water tender trucks did about 20 laps from the fire to city hydrants to provide water to the site.

Chief Girard said the investigation would be conducted by the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District’s (CSRD) fire coordinator, who has investigative jurisdiction at the site. The Stella-Jones pole yard is outside of city limits, but within the city’s fire protection area.

Original story posted at 8:25 p.m.

A large fire has broken out at the Stella-Jones pole yard west of Revelstoke on Monday, May 2. A huge plume of smoke was visible this afternoon, and the column continued into the evening.

At the site, City of Revelstoke fire trucks could be seen battling the large fire, which includes stacks of poles.

Unconfirmed: Fire west of #Revelstoke is at/near Stella-Jones lot after slash pile burn in the morning gets out of control. This image from 640 pm. Lots of sirens heading to site

A photo posted by Revelstoke Mountaineer (@revelstoke_mountaineer) on May 2, 2016 at 6:40pm PDT

Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services was not immediately available for comment.

At the scene, fire trucks could be seen driving back and forth between town and the mill site, presumably to fill up with water.

Here’s the fire at the Stella-Jones yard in Revelstoke. Loaders can be seen hauling out charred poles.

A video posted by Revelstoke Mountaineer (@revelstoke_mountaineer) on May 2, 2016 at 7:47pm PDT

Large loaders scooped at the burning pile, pulling away large charred poles.

The Stella-Jones pole yard makes large wooden poles used as utility poles.

The Stella-Jones fire as it appeared from the Trans-Canada Highway. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer

Neighbours at the site said the fire was in the area where a building used to peel bark from the logs is located, but that can’t be confirmed. It was unclear if any buildings were involved in the fire. There is no word on any injuries.

CP Rail workers were on standby at the nearby tracks, and had set up a pump to extract water from a nearby river.

The large plume of smoke from the fire. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountainee