Shane Vicary
AKD has thanked the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and its Caboolture site employees who helped control the fire at its Caboolture site last week. The fire was contained to the boiler fuel storage shed and AKD confirmed that no one was injured.The cause of the fire is as yet unknown. Source: Timberbiz
AKD’s Chief Executive Officer Shane Vicary said that while the news was upsetting, he was extremely grateful that no one was injured and is confident in the Caboolture team and their ability to respond quickly.
He said that the critical plant, the sawmill, drymill, boilers and kilns were not damaged by the fire.
“Whilst this will have a temporary impact on the site’s production, it will not impact our ability to dispatch product,” Mr Vicary said.
“We have strong stock positions at our Caboolture facility, our NSW distribution centre and our other sawmills, which also have further available production capacity should it be required. We encourage customers now more than ever to buy “Aussie Timber” first,” Mr Vicary said.
The Caboolture facility represents approximately 8% of AKD’s total production as a business and Mr Vicary was confident that there would be minimal impact felt by AKD’s Queensland customers as a result of the fire.
“The site and emergency services did a fantastic job in promptly responding to the fire, the Caboolture site management team is now working with the insurance providers, as well as continuing to dispatch timber,” he said. “They will assess options for the fuel storage facility.”
It is not the first time firefighters have been called to the sawmill on Henzell Rd, with two call outs in 2014 in September and December.
Both times the fire broke out in a three-storey building used as a sawdust processing room. At the time the sawmill was operated by Carter Holt Harvey. It was sold in 2018 to Associated Kiln Driers Softwoods (AKD)
