Firefighters took more than 10 hours to bring a blaze under control at the Northbay Pelagic fish processing factory in Peterhead, Scotland.
Crews began battling fierce flames at the site at 3 p.m. on Saturday 17 January and some remained on scene overnight to fully extinguish the fire so that investigators could assess the damage and potential cause. No one was believed to have been in the factory when the fire started.
Founded in January 2014, Northbay Pelagic is a collaboration between Fresh Catch, Interfish and Shetland-based Altaire Fishing Company. The company specializes in the processing of pelagics. Fish landed by vessels are pumped directly to processing lines to maximize product quality. It employs about 300 people at Peterhead, one of the busiest fish landing ports in the United Kingdom.
Commenting on the fire, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead, cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment in the Scottish Government, said: "Northbay Pelagic is one of the largest fish factories in Scotland and a major employer in Peterhead. As we start the new mackerel season, the Scottish Government stands ready to assist in the aftermath of this fire in any way we can. We are asking public agencies to work with the local authority and the business to see what support can be offered as a matter of urgency.”
