'The sky was a complete red flame': Cause of weekend warehouse fire in Bathurst still unknown

Smoke coming from the wreckage of a fire that destroyed a building supply warehouse in Bathurst, N.B., over the weekend could still be seen Monday morning.

Fire and emergency crews were called to the Eddy Group Warehouse around 9 p.m. Saturday, but they were not able to save the family-owned company’s building.

No one was injured, but more than 100 people evacuated their homes and the thick plumes of black smoke from the massive blaze caused an air quality advisory.

“The sky was a complete red flame. You didn’t know where the fire was. I was told it was the Eddy Building, but I thought it was the whole downtown,” said Kim Chamberlain, Bathurst mayor.

The construction company is a staple in the community and has been in business for over 100 years.

The huge warehouse was full of everything needed to build a home.

“I actually just got confirmation by one of their employees who told me there will be no layoffs. I don’t know how they’re doing it, but I’m not surprised. They had over 50 employees, if not more,” said Chamberlain.

When Darcy and Rick Letendre heard the explosions and saw the flames they knew it was serious and chose to evacuate.

“When we saw how big that fire was, knowing the type of building it was being a supply store, we were figuring this is not good,” said Darcy Letendre.

“A lot of flammable materials in there. Paints, solvents and all kinds of chemicals for the building industry. You could tell it was not going to be stopping anytime soon,” said Rick Letendre.

A spokesperson for the city of Bathurst says it could be weeks before the cause of the fire is known.

CTV News spoke with a couple of Eddy employees who said they also heard there won’t be layoffs and the family owned business is a good one to work for.

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