PEI

4 fire departments respond to blaze at Beach Point wharf storage building

The wharf at Beach Point, P.E.I., was evacuated after a fire broke out Monday at the MacKay Cold Storage building, a witness says.

Witness says firefighters quick to respond

Smoke pours out of the MacKay Cold Storage building around 6:30 p.m. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

Four fire departments responded to a blaze that broke out Monday at the MacKay Cold Storage building at the Beach Point wharf in eastern P.E.I. 

Firefighters from the Murray Harbour, Murray River, Belfast and Montague fire departments were on scene late Monday evening and as of 8:00 p.m., were still working to put out the fire. 

Stephen Carter, who witnessed the fire, said the wharf was evacuated after the fire broke out.

He was doing maintenance work on a building next door and when he returned from a break at 3:15 p.m., he saw smoke billowing out of one of the doors of the storage facility.

"About two minutes later the fire department showed up and told us we had to evacuate," he said. "They were pretty quick to respond."

Highway officials closed down Wharf Road, which leads to the wharf, to all vehicles except for local traffic.

The extent of the damage is unknown.

A photo from a drone shows the MacKay Cold Storage building on fire Monday. (Jeff Jordan)

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