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Title: Two injured in mill fire

Source: http://www.trib.com/HOMENEWS/WYO/MillFire.html

March 23, 2000

SARATOGA, Wyo. (AP) - Two workers are recovering from first and second-degree burns after an explosion and fire at the Louisiana-Pacific Lumber Mill on Monday night.

"We experienced a fire in a compressor room at the mill," Louisiana-Pacific spokesman David Dugan said Wednesday. "An investigation is underway to determine the cause."

Jerry Hamel and Ed "Buzz" Howe were taken to Rawlins Memorial Hospital and were later transferred to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City. Both were in stable condition Wednesday, a hospital official said.

The explosion shook nearby houses and blew off two-story portions of the sawmill's metal wall paneling. Hamel and Howe had been walking nearby when the explosion occured, officials said.

"I was watching TV when it happened. The whole sky lit up," said neighbor Joe Hennek, who works at the mill. "I grabbed my coat and hard hat and ran outside."

The sawmill portion sustained the most damage and will shut down, officials said. Another part of the mill is still in operation.

Louisiana-Pacific officials are working to determine the extent of the damage, Dugan said. It is too early to speculate whether any employees will have to be laid off, he said.

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 23, 2000