Eastern Fisheries on Friday resumed full operations after a fire gutted its New Bedford, Mass., unloading and storage plant, ceasing its 50-ton-a-day ice-making operation and ruining tens of thousands of pounds of sea scallops.
The fire, which started after business hours on Wednesday and was extinguished by firefighters that night, did not impact the company’s harvesting and processing operations.
SouthCoastToday.com on Friday reported that firefighters narrowed the origin of the fire to a piece of malfunctioning refrigeration machinery.
Eastern Fisheries said cleanup and repair are already underway, and all affected product has been removed. Lost production space is being accommodated temporarily by a nearby facility.
“One of the benefits to our vertical integration is our ability to adjust to changing situations quickly,” said company owner Roy Enoksen. “Thankfully, the fire’s impact was minimal and no one was hurt. We appreciate the support we’ve received from the community and our associates in the seafood industry. We’re also grateful for the efforts of New Bedford’s fire department and the city's administration.”
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