Fire Claims Kamas’ Blazzard Lumber Mill, Cause Under Investigation

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Blazzard Lumber Co. has been in Kamas for five generations. Its mill on state Route 32, on the north end of Main Street, caught fire around 10 p.m. Nov. 13.

South Summit Fire Chief Scott Thorell said the owners called 911. He could see the fire from his house.

“There was a large orange glow, a large amount of fire initially, that was moving fast because we had strong south winds,” he told KPCW.

Almost 40 South Summit firefighters responded, plus nine more from Park City and Wasatch County. The fire was out in less than two hours.

The fire chief said the mill was not insured. It’s badly damaged but some cut and uncut lumber survived.

“There's actually large stacks of fuel surrounding where the fire was that are unburned,” Thorell said. “The mill itself? They're investigating the fire right now, and it's not known the extent of damage, but it's probably going to be a total loss.”

Owner John Blazzard couldn’t share many details, saying there’s a lot to deal with in the immediate aftermath. It’s unclear what’s next for the business.

The fire also blew a transformer on a nearby power line. Utility crews temporarily cut power to a large portion of the Kamas Valley to make the repairs.

Thorell said there was speculation the transformer blew and caused the fire, but video a witness provided firefighters shows that’s incorrect. The cause is under investigation.

“Nobody was there when it was started. Owner reported that they had done their typical closing procedure of vacuuming and using a compressor to blow dust and they're known in the community as keeping a very clean shop,” Thorell said. “One of the owners drove by, he said, about 9:15 [p.m.] and there was no smoke or fire. They're very aware of fire danger and didn't see any evidence of it. “

No injuries were reported. The total cost of the damage is not yet known.

 Courtesy: www.kpcw.org