A fire at the Millaquin Mill in Bundaberg, Queensland, has caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and will delay the start of the sugar crush by up to two weeks. The blaze broke out late Friday night, with 28 firefighters responding to two separate fires.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services station officer Trevor Duncan said the fire likely started when embers from the boiler furnace ignited a bagasse conveyor. The fires were located in elevated steel construction and a new hopper bin area where bagasse is stored. A firefighter injured a knee while containing the blaze.
Bundaberg Sugar general manager David Pickering said the company is investigating the cause. The mill was scheduled to begin crushing for the 2016 season on June 13, but damage to the bagasse conveyor system has prevented operation. Repairs will start after insurance assessors inspect the site, with spare equipment already on hand.
Pickering noted that the fire did not damage the switchboard or extend to the bagasse silo. The company's other mill, Bingera, began crushing as planned on Monday.
