At around 11 a.m. this morning, the Gloucester Fire Department extinguished a structure fire at the Jodrey State Fish Pier. The fire was determined to be within Cape Seafoods, Inc.
The fire department arrived at the 5870-square-foot building, which is equipped with sprinklers, and found the fire in the insulation of a wall. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“Upon arrival, we had some thick, black smoke coming out the windows,” Deputy Chief Andrea McRobb, the group one shift commander, told Gloucester Times. “Employees informed me that it was a fiberglass turbine that got going, so it was fiberglass burning.”
The State Pier's history results from Gloucester local Everett R. Jodrey's efforts to revitalize the city’s fishing industry during the 1920s. It has provided a hub for marine commerce and commercial fishing. MassDevelopment has managed the property since 1995 and strives to maximize its utilization for marine use. Over 50 commercial fishing vessels use the State Pier for their berths. Seafood storage, processing, fishing bait, and marine law enforcement use the pier as a home base.
According to a June article from Gloucester Times, due to the reduced catch limits for Atlantic herring and mackerel, the Cape Seafoods owner decided to close the commercial fish processing facility on the State Pier and sell one of his larger vessels, Challenger. An online auction for much of the equipment was held June 13-20, including fish processing equipment, air compressors, generators, and forklifts.
No injuries were reported after crews searched the building after extinguishing the fire. Cape Seafoods remained open for business after the firefighters opened windows and provided extensive ventilation.
