Rambler Mines closed after fire destroys rescue gear
Operation shut down until replacement gear arrives
A fire Tuesday evening at Rambler Mines and Metals on the Baie Verte Peninsula has temporarily shut down the operation because vital rescue gear was destroyed.
The fire was reported around 8 p.m. after a worker noticed smoke coming from a storage trailer.
By the time firefighters from Baie Verte and Ming's Bight arrived, three trailers containing specialized mine rescue gear were ablaze.
Several large compressed air tanks inside the trailers exploded while firefighters were on site, but there were no injuries.
A company official estimates the replacement cost of the rescue gear at between $300,000 and $500,000. It has already been ordered from a supplier in Ontario.
It's expected the mine closure could last for a couple of days.
Police say the trailers were heated by electrical baseboard heaters and also electric fans attached to the walls and ceilings.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause, but it's not believed to be suspicious.
There is round-the-clock security and surveillance cameras at the mine site.
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