November 20, 2009 in City

Fire damages power turbine at mill

Mike Prager The Spokesman-Review

About 40 workers at the Vaagen Bros. Lumber mill in Colville were sent home Thursday after a fire in the mill’s turbine and electrical equipment disabled operations.

Russ Vaagen, the plant’s vice president, said he expects that workers will return as operations are restored over the next few weeks.

But damage to the company’s co-generation turbine, which sold power to the electrical grid, was so severe that it may not be restored for a year or longer, he said.

The fire broke out about 9 p.m. Wednesday in the portion of the plant that converts bark fuel into steam and …

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