Tuesday, November 21, 2017 1:00 pm

MADAWASKA, Maine -- A fire at the Twin Rivers Paper Company's Madawaska mill on Friday night kept firefighters from Madawaska and Edmundston busy for a couple of hours, but caused no significant damage.

According to Madawaska Fire Chief Jim Soucy, the fire was mainly confined to the ductwork above the No. 7 paper machine, with the machine itself receiving little damage.

Nearly 20 firefighters responded shortly after 10 p.m, along with four fire and rescue vehicles from the Madawaska department. Several firefighters from the Edmundston, New Brunswick, department also responded, driving across the international bridge in a pickup truck.

Fire trucks aren't allowed to cross the international bridge since transportation officials in Maine and New Brunswick last month limited the single vehicle weight to five tons.

Soucy said the exact cause of Friday's fire has yet to be determined, but may have started near some electrical connections. The chief said it is common for paper dust inside the mill to sometimes collect in places where it could then be accidentally ignited. There were no injuries reported, according to Soucy.

The mill's vice president for human resources, Glenn Saucier, said via email Monday that there was no damage to equipment.

"We are still trying to determine cause, " he added.

Firefighters have responded to several such fires at the mill in the past few years, including one this July and another in the summer of 2016.

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