The Kruger Mill in Kamloops is all of the sudden getting about a third of its fibre supply from nearby areas recently impacted by wildfire. That number ballooned from less than two per cent in 2022 to 33 per cent in 2023 — something Tom Hoffman, the mill’s fibre manager, said is necessary to produce the amount of product the mill typically pumps out in a year. He said Kruger typically uses 2 million cubic metres of pulp and 800,000 cubic metres of hog fuel logs to burn in its power plant each year. As of this spring, Kruger has seen a shortfall in its fibre supply of about 125,000 cubic metres worth of chips, Hoffman said, but it has not yet resulted in layoffs. “We’re working with our partners and government to close that gap and ensure the sustainability of the mill,” Hoffman said. He said using more fire-affected wood is part of the mill’s effort to fill the fibre gap.