On Friday, a food processing facility in the Canadian province of New Brunswick went up in flames. According to the Canadian Television Network, Jim LeBlanc, owner of W.E. Acres Crabmeal Ltd., said that the structure was a “total loss.”
At around 2 p.m., the fire started. LeBlanc revealed to CTV News that an explosion in an oil drum caused the fire to ignite.
However, in a report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Cap-fire Pelé’s chief Ronald Cormier stated that although the source of the fire is still unknown, it does not appear to have been arson. LeBlanc said there were four people inside when the fire broke out and that he and one employee suffered minor injuries, contrary to Cormier’s assertion that no one was inside the building when it caught fire and that no one was injured.
A seafood processing plant in Portage, N.B., has been completely destroyed following a major fire Friday afternoon. https://t.co/3fqehs3nue
— CTV Atlantic (@CTVAtlantic) February 4, 2023
He told CTV, “Myself and one of my co-workers were injured, like burnt… first and second-degree burns. We’ll heal.”
His injured coworker had second-degree burn treatment at the hospital, LeBlanc told CTV. He also said that the building produces fertilizer and animal feed. Six fire departments battled the incident for more than four hours, Cormier told the CBC.
Including two fires that took place in 2021 and one from 2019, the fire was the fourth fish plant fire in the region, the CBC reported. The CBC also added that the mayor of the village of Beaubassin-est, Louise Landry, called the incidents unusual following the second of the two 2021 fires, which occurred on two successive weekends.
There should be an investigation, it’s very odd that there is a epidemic of fish plant fires in this village. https://t.co/TBSp62CafT
— Vic Liu (@Victor_Liu_57) February 4, 2023
At the time, she said, “We’re quite concerned. The authorities will have to do the inquiries and we don’t want to jump to any conclusions. It’s also a loss of businesses, of jobs as well. And of course, all the residents that had to be evacuated today, [it] was quite scary for them also.”
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: WesternJournal, CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, Canadian Television Network.