Afternoon fire disrupts traffic in East Saint John

A garage fire in Saint John, N.B., slowed traffic on Tuesday afternoon.

An afternoon fire on the east side of Saint John, N.B., led to heavy traffic disruptions for commuters.

The Saint John Fire Department was called to a structure fire at the auto repair shop “Hank the Mechanic” on Rothesay Avenue around 1:15 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire caused Rothesay Avenue to be closed between McAllister Drive and Broadway Avenue, leading to lengthy delays for vehicles.

While the bulk of the blaze had been brought under control by 2:30 p.m., crews were still battling hotspots in one corner of the structure. A car was also seen on site which appeared to be heavily damaged by the fire.

The fire department says two firefighters were injured and taken to hospital to be checked.

No other injuries were reported.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.