Portage College experienced a fire originating in its carpentry shop's dust collection system in the early afternoon of March 20th. The power was shut off and firefighters were called to successfully extinguished the fire. No staff or students were injured. The prompt response from Lac La Biche County, Plamondon and Hylo firefighters minimized the damage to the building.

"We're happy to report that no one was injured and the emergency was safely dealt with," said Dr. Trent Keough, President and CEO of Portage College. "The local firefighters were exceptional and we are grateful for their efforts on our behalf" Keough added.

Emergency protocols were successfully followed, and staff and students were sent home. Portage College has cancelled classes at the Lac La Biche campus on Friday March 21. Infrastructure, support and IT personnel have been recalled, and campus security and maintenance have already begun cleaning up the area.

"We will be open for business on Monday morning," said Keough. "All classes will resume and all personnel will be back at work."