Abstract: On January 21, 1995, Employees #1, #2, and #3 were unplugging a chip presteamer to the #2 digester. The digester had approximately 130 psi of steam at about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The three employees had not closed all valves or relieved all the energy, and two cleanout doors were open. Two of the employees were at the cleanout door on the fourth floor, and the remaining employee was at the one on the third floor, when steam from the digester blew back into the presteamer and was released through the cleanout doors. The rooms quickly filled with steam, burning all three employees. They retreated to a safe area, where Employee #3 administered first aid by spraying them with water. A short time after the accident, the local fire department and an ambulance from Coos Bay, OR, arrived. Two of the employees were transported by ambulance to the hospital, and the third went in a private vehicle. Employee #1 sustained first- and second-degree burns to his face and hands, possible respiratory burns, and was admitted. Employees #2 and #3 sustained burns to the hands and face, and were treated and released. All three employees are expected to recover fully.