Fire destroys 5 fishing boats in Magdalen Islands, Que.

CBC
·1-min read

Five fishing boats were completely destroyed in a fire at the Magdalen Islands' Grande-Entrée wharf Sunday morning.

The fire department received a call around 4:20 a.m. about burning boats at the Magdalen Islands' largest fishermen wharf. The fires were under control as of 7:30 a.m., though three boats sank, two others were burned to a crisp and others suffered minor damage, said Antonin Valiquette, the mayor of the Magdalen Islands.

No one was injured.

"It hurts not only the fishermen and owners of boats, but their families and also the people who work on the boats and the community at large," said Valiquette.

"In the Magdalen Islands, fishing boats are more than tools. For some fishermen, it's part of the family. It's something of a tragedy that affects the whole community."

The municipal environment department is working with the Canadian Coastguard to clean up fuel spills from the fire.

Valiquette says all evidence points to the fire being accidental. It appears to have started in one boat, and been pushed onto other boats by the wind.

The wharf was also mildly damaged by the flames and will need to undergo safety inspections, said Valiquette, which may complicate the ongoing fishing season.

Joël Arseneau, Parti Québécois MNA for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, posted about the incident on social media and said his "thoughts are with the captains, their crews and families affected by these major material losses."

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