Tumbler Ridge Fire Department responds to blaze at Quintette Mine

TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — Tumbler Ridge firefighters spent nearly five hours extinguishing a fire that ignited at the Quintette Mine site on Sunday afternoon.

Deputy fire chief Mike Thibodeau said the call came in on August 20th at about 12:45 p.m. The department responded to the blaze with six members and two fire trucks.

Once on scene, firefighters determined the fire was located in one of the mine’s dryers. 

According to ABC Machinery, coal dryers are used to remove moisture from many types of coal, including sub-bituminous—the type of coal mined at Quintette, according to data from B.C.’s Ministry of Energy.

This type of coal has a higher percentage of moisture and is dried to make it more energy efficient.

Thibodeau said firefighters then worked to control the fire within the building, adding that the blaze was extinguished by about 6 p.m.

The deputy fire chief said the department isn’t aware of any injuries stemming from the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation.