A fire at the city-owned Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation (RCEC) wood waste energy facility on the morning of Feb. 11 has led to disruptions in heating supply to its network.
Fire crews responded to the fire in the 1400-block of Downie Street at about 8:15 a.m. The energy facility is located next to the Downie Street sawmill operation.
Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services (RFRS) said six fire department vehicles and 22 members responded.
The Revelstoke Aquatic Centre and community centre facility is one of the buildings heated via the RCEC facility. Recreation centre staff announced on Feb. 11 that the aquatic centre has been closed temporarily.
Second fire at city facility in recent months
It is the second fire at RCEC in the past three months, and there have been fire incidents at RCEC in the past. On Nov. 29, 2020, the fire department responded to a fire. By the time crews arrived, there was smoke emanating from the building.
In a statement, RCFS said firefighters were able to keep the fire contained within the combustor area and the ductwork. Crews were on scene for about three hours in the late November incident.
The fire in the combustor was considered “abnormal” by the RFRS, but in an early December email the RFRS said the cause was “undetermined” at that time.
The facility also experienced a serious fire in 2015, pictured above.
Facility burns wood waste to heat underground heat pipe network
The facility burns wood waste to generate heat, which is distributed through an underground pipe network. The facility heats the nearby schools, the Revelstoke Aquatic Centre, and a number of other commercial and residential buildings in the downtown area.
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