Fire at Summerside Electric Plant declared over, station remains offline

Officials say a fire at an electric plant in western Prince Edward Island is now out, though the facility remains offline.

Crews responded to the scene at the Summerside Electric Power Plant around 5:50 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire was contained by about 6:45 p.m. and officially declared over by 7:30 p.m.

“The plant’s exhaust system ignited as result of the Summerside Electric diesel generators operating at high capacity to meet peak energy loads over the last few days,” reads a post on the Summerside Fire Department’s social media.

The plant was immediately taken offline due to the fire.

The city says there were no injuries, evacuations, or immediate risk to public safety.

A fire crew remained on site overnight as a precaution.

The plant remains offline, pending a full inspection and damage assessment, which is scheduled for Wednesday.

“While the plant provides up to 15 megawatts of power when operating at full capacity, the City and Summerside Electric are actively managing the electrical system to maintain service,” reads a statement from the city.

Power outages in the area may be possible.

The city says it will provide updates as inspections are completed and more information becomes available.

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