According to Edith Mejia, who serves as both the office manager and dispatcher for the police department, the fire likely began sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
According to a press release issued by Peter Pan Seafood, both the warehouse and the nearby stockroom were affected by the fire. The company reported that there were no known injuries.
Fishing equipment such as nets and lines were being stored at the Peter Pan Seafood facility, and residents reported the strong smell of burning plastic emanating from the fire.
The local fire department, Emergency Medical Services, public safety personnel, and TDX Power Group, a rural utility provider on the island, all responded to the incident and were present at the scene on Wednesday morning. Both structures were destroyed in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
“We have staff on the ground in Sand Point and teams en route from King Cove to continue assessing the situation and gathering information on the incident,” the company announced.
Also known as Popof Island, Sand Point, Alaska is a municipality located about 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, near the entrance to the Bering Sea. The Peter Pan Seafood facility serves as a parts stockroom and bookkeeping office. There is no fish processing plant at the site, and the workforce typically ranges from 2 to 4 employees seasonally.