Interfor is expecting the wildfire situation in B.C.’s Interior to impact its sawmills in this area for “several weeks or more.”

The forest company has announced that its mills in Chase, Castlegar and Grand Forks will see disruptions because of wildfires and log supply.

The company says all forest harvesting has been halted with the provincial state of emergency in place. It expects at least 50 million board feet of production at its three Interior mills will be curtailed in August, which would be about seven per cent of its production in the past year.

Senior vice president of western operations, Andrew Horahan, says Interfor is reacting to the fire situation as best as it can.

“We are also doing what we can to help, working cooperatively with the provincial wildfire service and local communities to support the firefighting efforts,” Horahan said. “At this time there are over 230 Interfor staff and contractors and over 90 pieces of contractor-owned heavy equipment dedicated to assisting the BC Wildfire Service in their efforts.”

The company adds that weather conditions will depend on how long its mills are curtailed in the Interior, saying it’s possible that downtime could last “in September and beyond.”

“The latest forecasts from the BC Wildfire Service indicate a strong likelihood of warmer and drier than normal conditions persisting across much of B.C. over the remainder of the summer and early fall.”

Meanwhile, Interfor says its keeping a close eye on wildfires in Washington and Oregon and potential impacts to log supply at its four mills in those states. It says there is no threat to its mills at this point.

(Photo: Interfor)