Fire tears through fish plant in Miscou Island, N.B.

A fish plant in Miscou Island, N.B., has collapsed after a fire ripped through the building early Thursday morning.

RCMP Sgt. Stephane Blanchard told Global News that officers received a call about 1 a.m. and, on arrival, found that the building had collapsed. The building was on Rue de Quai de Miscou.

He said a cleaning crew had been on site preparing the building for the next day when they smelled something burning and noticed smoke coming from the roof area. They immediately evacuated and called 911.

No one was injured, Blanchard said, and the building burnt to the ground.

The fire marshal and investigators are now on scene trying to determine the cause.

The fire is another blow to a community that was hit by a major ice storm in January and a violent storm last week.

“There’s definitely a lot going on and a lot of adversity for sure, but the community, they’re strong and they’re holding up together,” Blanchard said.

People in the community took to social media to express their sadness and shock over the fire.

Brenda Duplessis posted a video on Facebook and said, “That’s the fish plant at Miscou Island that’s going down in flames. Such a tragedy, very, very sad.”

Her video was shared hundreds of times, including be Denise Ward Beaudin.

Beaudin said the fire was “heart breaking.”

“On an island where work is seasonal and people rely on the fishing season and the few jobs it creates… this is devastating and horrible,” she said. “The impact it will have on so many is beyond words.

“My heart goes out to them.”