Highway 97 reopens after mill fire in Quesnel

QUESNEL, B.C. — Highway 97 south of Prince George has reopened after a fire at the East Fraser Fibre mill in Quesnel Saturday (June 21) night.

DriveBC first reported of the blaze around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. It confirmed the that the highway was closed just after 10:00 p.m. to allow crews to work on extinguishing the blaze.

In an update just before 4:00 a.m. Sunday (June 22), DriveBC said the highway had reopened.

At this time, it is not clear what sparked the fire, though firefighters, RCMP officers and paramedics were all on scene. Pictures from the scene show the structure fully engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke rising.