Under control quickly
Summerside firefighters respond to Livingston Steel fire Friday
More than 30 Summerside firefighters responded to a blaze at an Ottawa Street business late Friday afternoon.
The fire call to Livingston Steel Inc.’s facility came in around 5 p.m.
Firefighters had the main fire under control quickly, but flames also spread up a wall and got into the ceiling of the building. They managed to get the fire under control within an hour.
There were no injuries. Deputy Chief Tom Peters said his team used extra caution on the call because of the notable amounts of combustibles inside the building.
Thankfully, he added, most of the businesses’ large bay doors were closed when the fire broke out. This deprived the fire of oxygen and kept if from spreading faster. Otherwise, the fire might have been much more serious, he said.
“We were able to get inside with men and do a quick hit on it and got it knocked down really fast.”
Peters also said they were fortunate because while most of the employees at the business had gone home for the day, a firefighter from another department was one of a handful who stayed behind to get some extra work done. That person was a great resource for the first equipped firefighters on the scene.
People on the scene indicated the fire started in a room used for painting at the facility.
One employee who spoke with the Journal Pioneer said about 15 people are employed at Livingston Steel. He also expressed relief everyone was OK and was eager to speak with the business owners.
“I don’t know if I’ve got a job now,” he said.