Squirrel starts fire, spoiling 82,000 litres of milk in Burnaby

A squirrel went bad in Burnaby on Tuesday, causing about 82,000 litres of milk to do the same at a local cheese factory.

They say it’s no use crying over spilled milk, but they’re usually referring to a small amount. It’s a little more reasonable to cry over 82,000 litres of spilled milk.

Emergency crews were called to Scardillo Cheese at 7865 Venture Street in Burnaby just after 9 a.m. for what turned out to be a hydro pole on fire. According to B.C. Hydro, the blaze was sparked after a squirrel chewed through a piece of equipment.

The fire knocked out power for over 150 Burnaby residents, but the cheese factory was hit hardest, with the fire affecting their main power line. It would be twelve hours before power was restored, during which time 82,000 litres of milk were spoiled.

“It was in the vats to make cheese,” administrator Kathy Scardillo told the Burnaby Now.

Fortunately, the cheese itself was unharmed, as Scardillo rented generators to keep its inventory cooled.

The company is estimated to lose about a week of production disposing of and cleaning up the milk. The squirrel is still at large.

hmooney@postmedia.com