The Port Alberni Fire Department (PAFD) responded to a blaze at the former site of the Western Forest Products saw mill where flames reached heights of 30 feet, says Fire Chief Mike Owens. Port Alberni Fire Chief Mike Owens says… the bulk of the blaze was knocked down by the initial on-duty crew, with the rest of work spent tackling the nooks and crannies of hot spots from woody debris left in voids and high beams. “The challenge with these old saw milling type of properties is there can sometimes be accumulations of debris that was left when it used to be used as a saw mill,” he says. …Since its closure in 2022, the mill has been acquired by Amix, and recent activity on the property has included mainly deconstruction and land clearing of the former saw mill operation.