A fish factory in the Newfoundland community of St. Mary's burned to the ground as the community faced gale-force winds and heavy rain.
St. Mary's Mayor Steve Ryan told CBC News on Tuesday that he was notified of the fire earlier in the night. He said he was the first person on the scene at the St. Mary's Bay Fisheries, and said most of the building was already destroyed.
Ryan said three fire crews are on the scene but are facing gale-force winds as the weather bomb sweeps across the province. Ryan said the structure was gone before crews could get to the fire.
Wind speeds reached 172 km/h at Cape St. Mary's, meteorologist Rodney Barney said.
Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Liberal MHA for Placencia-St. Mary, said she and the community are devastated by the loss.
“I'm heartbroken. I really, truly,” she said.
“They just stand by and watch their source of employment burn to the ground… This has done so much for this community, this employer. It's really hard for me to wrap my head around this.”
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