Burns Lake sawmill explosion cause still unclear

It is still not clear what caused an explosion at the Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake, B.C.,in January that killed two men, according to a preliminary update issued by WorkSafeBC on Wednesday.

"We still don't have the cause of this catastrophic explosion," said spokeswoman Roberta Ellis, who described the investigation as one of the largest every undertaken by WorkSafeBC.

Sawdust is just one of many possible factors under investigation, according to Ellis. Other possible factors include the use ofpine beetle kill wood, the weather, and possible ignition sources such as natural gas and propane.

A U.S. lab has been hired to specifically investigate therole sawdust may have played in the explosion andthe final investigationis expected to take another two to three months, she said.

Outside experts have pointed to a build up ofextremely dry dust from pine beetle woodas the possible cause of the Burns Lake explosion in January and of theexplosion at the Lakeland sawmill in Prince Georgelast month that also killed two people.

Following the second explosion,WorkSafeBC ordered clean-ups and inspectionsat all B.C. mills to ensure sawdust is being properly dealt with.