The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Flames that spewed from a special cement production facility at Reliance Services yesterday afternoon were no match for firefighters. Dust flew as firefighters raced down the Cliff Lake Road to tackle a fire that had started on the top of a facility used to make shotcrete, a special cement used to stabilize mine shafts. "When we arrived, there were major flames coming out of the top of the building," said Fire Chief Jim Petrie. "I deployed two trucks and two lines and we knocked (the fire) down." To help douse the red-hot flames, firefighters ripped off some of the building's metal siding. Petrie said overheated sand, used in shotcrete production, and a lack of ventilation were to blame for the fire. The fire chief said the building is salvageable, as the fire only damaged the top portion. The fire produced thick clouds of smoke clearly visible to motorists traveling along much of the Perimeter Highway. The call from Reliance Services came while firefighters were at the Flin Flon General Hospital dealing with another matter. Petrie said there was a diesel gas leak in the hospital's basement. While hospital staff cleaned up the gas, firefighters stood by, hoses in hand, as a precautionary measure. Firefighters also placed a fan in the basement to ventilate the area.
