Carr’s Meat Shop sustains significant damage as busy Woodstock firefighters respond to the fire, two vehicle fires and a tractor-trailer accident within 20 hours
Carr’s Meat Shop in Jacksonville sustained significant damage on Wednesday, Feb. 28, as an early afternoon fire spread through a portion of its workshop.
Woodstock Fire Department Chief Harold McLellan said his crew responded to a fire call at 12:59 p.m. He said the Jacksonville fire call came in after the department responded to a call at 12:24 p.m. involving a car fire on the other side of the St. John River at Carr’s Siding, near Newburg.
McLellan said his team dealt with both blazes at the same time.
The chief said meat shop crews were working in the building at the time of the fire, noting they didn’t notice it immediately.
He explained the fire was in the attic and roof above their heads, and they didn’t notice until they smelled smoke.
McLellan said the fire appeared to start in a compressor for the business’s coolers situated in a closed-in shelter outside the building. He explained the fire climbed the wall and ignited the attic and ceiling.
McLellan said the fire significantly damaged the building’s roof and walls.
He said he reported the fire and suspected cause to the Fire Marshal’s Office, which accepted his report without attending the fire scene.
McLellan said NB Power crews joined firefighters on the scene to disconnect power to the building.
Meanwhile, the chief said, some firefighters attended the fire, which destroyed a car in Carr’s Siding.
He said the RCMP also attended the car fire scene and will handle the investigation to determine a cause and whether the blaze was suspicious.
McLellan said his fire crew remained busy overnight as they responded to a fire call at 4:19 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 29, reporting a dump truck on fire at E. Cummings Contracting on Main Street in Woodstock.
He said the truck was parked at the construction business overnight, noting either a passerby or an employee noticed it burning.
McLellan said the fire caused extensive damage to the cab and motor before firefighters doused the blaze.
He said wear and tear and wiring issues can ignite a fire in a truck, even when parked and not running.
The fire department’s busy day continued later Thursday morning when the department responded at 9:20 a.m. to a motor vehicle accident on the Trans Canada Highway between the Jacksonville and Connell Road exits in Woodstock.
McLellan said a tractor-trailer jackknifed and left the road. With temperatures quickly dropping to freezing conditions after heavy rains, freezing rain and a small amount of snow, he said icy road conditions may have played a role in the accident.
McLellan said the truck sustained damage, but a significant fuel leak presented the biggest challenge for responders.
He said firefighters spread Absorb All, an absorbent power, to partially deal with the spill, while Sharp’s Towing attended to use its fuel-recovery system to contain and collect the spilled fluid.
McLellan said the busy 24-hour period added to a busier-than-usual start to 2024. He said his department responded to 44 calls over the first two months of this year.
