FREDERICTON – RCMP in New Brunswick say they’re investigating a massive fire that destroyed a potato chip factory in Hartland, N.B.
Police spokesman Sgt. Dan Sharpe says the 20 to 30 people who were at the Covered Bridge Potato Chips factory when the blaze broke out evacuated safely, and no injuries have been reported.
Several regional fire departments responded to the blaze that was reported around 6 p.m. Friday, with crews on scene battling the flames until Saturday morning.
Sharpe says the factory building was completely destroyed in the “very large-scale” blaze, and the RCMP and the New Brunswick Fire Marshal are investigating the cause.
Premier Blaine Higgs issued a statement yesterday with Margaret Johnson and Greg Turner, the province’s agriculture and labour ministers, calling the fire a “heartbreaking loss.”
The statement says the factory began operating in 2009 and became a key source of employment in the region, as well as a destination for tourists.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2024.
