Fire destroys boiler control room at Hedstrom Lumber

Cook County Law Enforcement received a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire at Hedstrom Lumber Company just before 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 4. The caller said the fire was in a control room located inside the lumber mill’s boiler building.

The Maple Hill, Gunflint and Grand Marais Fire Departments and the Cook County Ambulance responded, with the Maple Hill Fire Department on scene by 4:49 p.m.

The fire was knocked down quickly and all fire departments were clear of the scene by 6:41 p.m.

Hedstrom Lumber President Howard Hedstrom said damage was confined to the control room. The structure of the boiler building is intact, but the high heat destroyed electrical equipment and piping.

Since the fire, Hedstrom Lumber staff have been working to drain the pipes that transport steam from the boiler to the entire lumber mill complex, including the saw mill, planing mill, chip plant and maintenance shop. A house on the property and the lumber mill office were also heated by the boiler and back-up heating systems were brought online.

Hedstrom said most of the necessary equipment needed to make repairs is on hand and it is hoped that the plant will have heat again and be back in operation by Thursday.

Hedstrom said the cause of the fire was undetermined, but it is believed that an errant spark ignited some scaffolding. Grand Marais Fire Chief Ben Silence requested that the State Fire Marshal be called because the fire was in a commercial building.

Hedstrom praised the local fire departments. He said, “They come and they know what to do. They do it quickly and professionally.”