WESTBROOK, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A four alarm fire at the Sappi Paper Mill in Westbrook Friday night turned out be a very close call. Smoke was discovered in a massive building in which wood chips are stored.
Firefighters say the fire started on the 4th floor near the dump elevator that would carry wood chips in or out of the building. 4 alarms were called because of the potential threat. Firefighters say had those wood chips ignited, the fire would have been massive... and with all the dust particles in the air, an explosion was also possible. Deputy Chief Andrew Turcotte says it's a good thing that Sappi has taken some serious safety precautions.
About 75 firefighters responded to the scene, 2 of them did suffer injuries, as did one Sappi employee. Deputy Chief Turcotte says all three were affected by the heat inside the building, and outside as well. None of the injuries is life threatening. The State Fire Marshall's office is investigating what might have sparked the fire.
