Bear Mountain Forest Products Responds to Plant Fire.

Safety Measures Mitigates Damage; Production Continues

CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. -- Bear Mountain Forest Products, a national leader in woody biofuel-based residential and commercial heating, issued the following statement in response to the fire at its Cascade Locks production plant on Thursday,

"We are very pleased that our safety measures were followed thoroughly and professionally by our people who mitigated the damage and ensured the safety of our employees," said Bear Mountain Forest Products Company Spokesperson Stan Elliot. "We also commend our local fire marshal and crews who responded quickly and limited the damage to our plant's materials handling area."

Bear Mountain Forest Products has two main plants, one in Brownsville, Ore. and the other in Cascade Locks, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Elliot said the Cascade Locks plant was back in production by the following Thursday.

"We worked with local fire officials to ensure that the plant was secure and our safety measures were back intact before resuming production. Thanks to the efforts of our employees and local safety officials, we were able to restart operations only a week after the fire, beating our initial forecast of January 29."

About Bear Mountain Forest Products

Bear Mountain Forest Products (www.bmfp.com) serves as a catalyst in the forest resource market, promoting the intelligent use of forest resources by creating worldwide excellence in sustainable energy and consumer products and services. Founded in 1988, Bear Mountain has worked closely with forest management, timber, logging and mill operators, as well state and local government officials to promote the highest and best use of forest resources.