“It was Just Horrendous:” St. Mary’s Fish Plant Destroyed by Fire

The fish plant in St. Mary’s has been destroyed by a fire.

Pictures and videos posted to social media show smoke and flames billowing up into the dark night sky, and firefighters braving strong winds and rainy conditions trying to douse the blaze.

Mayor Steve Ryan, voice riddled with emotion, says the situation is “very difficult.”

Ryan was alerted to the fire by his daughter around 9:00 last night and was the first person on the scene.

“When I got there it was just starting, like it was coming out through the roof. Within about 10 minutes, if that, it just went right through the whole building, (it) just lit up. The wind, the conditions… it was like a perfect storm. The wind – you couldn’t get out of your vehicle, it was just horrendous.”

Ryan says they have an emergency shelter open