Seafood plant company regroups following fire

A fire on the afternoon of Monday, May 1, destroyed four buildings and damaged a fifth belonging to Special K Fisheries on Grand Manan. Fire Chief Phillip Brown says the building was fully involved when emergency responders arrived. There were 23 firefighters as well as RCMP and ambulance personnel, and for several hours large dark clouds of smoke billowed over North Head. Burned debris fell along the road past the ferry parking lot.
The site is adjacent to the ferry dock, and the Grand Manan Adventure arrived while the fire burned. Earlier crossings had been cancelled because of a power outage, and the 3 p.m. unloading was delayed about an hour. The next crossings were also cancelled until 7 p.m. Firefighters ran water lines from the ferry's pumps to supplement their own hoses.
Brown says there was a lot of rope and highly flammable vinyl material, and "the wind was a hindrance," but he reports no injuries. Many islanders visited the nearby fishermen's wharf and shoreline for a look, and after a request was put out on Facebook, people brought food and water. "The island supports us very well," Brown says. They were on the scene for 10 hours and left a truck and a watchman overnight, as hot spots were still smoldering.

Wrapped in a blanket of care
Special K has a dozen year-round staff and employs up to 40 depending on the season, with lobstering and scalloping. They own four boats and operate three additional ones. The buildings destroyed were a tank house and office, trap workshop, welding shed and heating shed. The fifth building's roof, back wall and outside electrical connections were damaged. Company partner Sharon Ingalls says the extent and the cost of damage remain to be seen as they start taking that building apart.
The business, founded by her father, Lawson Kinghorne, has been there since 1978, Ingalls says, and "we lost every document on everything, 50 years of work," including Kinghorne family history and items evoking many memories. "I raised my kids there, my grandkids," she says, remembering times when she had a crib in the office. But, she says, "we kept everybody" as they all got out of the buildings safely.
Five people ate lunch in the office that day, using a generator because of the power outage. Ingalls recalls her granddaughter arrived after school to eat and do homework, and other family members had arrived. Glancing outside, they thought they saw some dense fog moving in, then thought it might be steam from someone washing out a tank. Then they realized it was smoke, and by the time they got out, the whole end of the building was on fire. She says the cause was electrical but doesn't know if the power failure played a role.
Despite the loss, Ingalls says her "new motto is thankfulness," for everyone's safety and the support of the community. Island lobster businesses have offered help, and Connors Bros. provided bait so they can continue fishing operations. "Our community is the best that this world could ever offer," she says. "To be wrapped in a blanket and know that you are being cared for by people who really care is a comfort all of its own. The outpouring of calls, texts, messages have filled our hearts and given us strength. Our hearts are just [overflowing]."
They had just finished their year-end bookkeeping and will have to start again; there is already a new computer. They plan to continue fishing and finish the lobster season, focus on cleaning up and work on gear through the summer.
Ingalls says the loss is "like a huge death in the family," and they're not making major decisions until everyone has had time to work through the emotional impact. Eventually, she says, they will rebuild their business. "Baby steps. We'll get it done. We're going to stand tall because that's what our dad taught us."