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Authorities provide updates on fire at Resolute’s warehouse
Fire is expected to be extinguished by Saturday
During a press conference, federal, state and local officials provided updates on the fire at Resolute Forest Products and the impact on the surrounding area of Menominee and Marinette.
For two weeks, fire crews battled the blaze, which started Oct. 6, and Menominee Fire Chief Mark Petersen said the fire must be extinguished by Saturday, Oct. 22.
More than eight million gallons of water have been poured onto the fire at Resolute Forest Products in Menominee, WLUC reports. The 560,000-square-foot warehouse was filled with bales, scrap paper and pulp that was piled over 10 feet high – all tinder for the fire, officials said. Sixty-eight fire departments from Michigan and Wisconsin have worked to suppress the blaze.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Cynthia Kuber, the President of KK Integrated Logistics (KKIL), who owns the property, said most of it is a total loss.
“The building in the beginning as it stood was 560,000 square feet,” Kuber said. “We have lost 420,000 square feet of that to complete destruction. 140,000 square feet still stands and has been deemed structurally sound, but it will need to be restored.”
The warehouse sits on the banks of the Menominee River. The water that has run off from the fire is being collected so it doesn’t contaminate the river or local drinking water; authorities have been testing for PFAS and levels did spike but remained below safety limits, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The firewater will be treated before it re-enters the water system.
“We will rise from the ashes,” Kuber explained. “KKIL, our business partners and our family are committed to our community. We plan to rebuild on the site. The involved businesses and partnerships will move forward. The jobs will return, and we will build a state-of-the-art, modern warehouse in support of our industrial partners.”
Kuber is hopeful unaffected areas of the Resolute Forest Products pulp mill can restart later this month. No timetable has been set for when a new facility will be completed.
