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Monarto sawmill fire bill $3m

A sawmill fire at Monarto, south-east of Adelaide, is expected to leave a damage bill of up to $3 million. Source: ABC News

About 30 workers were at the Old Princess Highway site when the fire broke out at about 12:00 (ACDT).

Sawmill director Garry Tucker said the fire began during the workers’ lunchbreak.

“The moulder had been running extremely well all morning,” he said.

“They knocked off for lunch and three minutes later the smoke was going up.

“We think it was an overheated bearing. In the moulder, there’s sawdust everywhere, and once the saw dust starts, it doesn’t take much to send it off.”

Mr Tucker said the damage bill could be between $2 million and $3 million, but they would be able to assess the full impact of the fire more accurately later.

Swanport Country Fire Service (CFS) group officer Wayne Thorley said nine appliances and about 40 firefighters from the CFS and the Metropolitan Fire Service fought the fire.

“It’s certainly took hold quite quickly,” he said.

No one was injured in the blaze and fire investigators are trying to determine how the fire started.