Fire Damages R-Y Timber’s Livingston, Montana, Sawmill—Production Halted

A second major fire within a year broke out at R-Y Timber’s Livingston, Montana, location early on Tuesday (2-7-23) morning, according to the Livingston Enterprise. The fire has caused major damage to the sawmill facility. Fire crews were on the scene for over 13 hours chasing hot spots in the walls and ceiling insulation, as well as dealing with oils used for lubricants throughout the mill.

Last September, a fire destroyed the Livingston facility’s planner mill, and the company has just begun the process of rebuilding of the planer building when the sawmill caught on fire, the Livingston Enterprise says. In May 2022, R-Y Timber’s former mill in Townsend Montana caught fire with much of the building and the machinery inside destroyed.

Dan Richards, general manager of R-Y Timber, told the paper that the Livingston mill is not able to continue production at this time because of damage to sawmill building, which he believes needs at least a new roof—and that would be contingent upon labor, materials, and weather. The company’s new planer will be operational in about a month.

The R-Y Timber’s Livingston mills has been open for 25 years and produces approximately 60 million board feet of lumber per year.