MV Northumberland sailings resume between N.S. and P.E.I. after small fire on board

Fire on MV Northumberland Causes Ferry Cancellations Between PEI and Nova Scotia

A small fire in the crew kitchen of MV Northumberland led to the cancellation of four ferry crossings between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia on Friday morning. The fire, which started in a dishwasher on the vessel shortly after 7 a.m., was quickly extinguished by crew members, according to Northumberland Ferries Ltd. general manager Jeff Joyce.

The affected crossings at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11:45 a.m. were cancelled, but the afternoon sailings resumed with the 1:30 p.m. crossing. Vehicles that had boarded the ferry in Caribou, N.S., were guided back off the vessel when the fire broke out.

MV Northumberland was moved to a secondary dock to allow the company’s second vessel, MV Confederation, to continue its departures and arrivals as usual. Transport Canada was notified of the incident, and after inspection, the ferry was cleared to resume service.

Due to the temporary shutdown of MV Northumberland, MV Confederation experienced delays of about 25 minutes as a result of the increased volume of vehicles at the terminals. Jeff Joyce expressed regret that the incident occurred on a Friday of a long weekend but assured passengers that the company was working to ensure they reached their destinations on schedule.

While Friday’s fire was minor and quickly resolved, it served as a reminder of a more serious incident in July 2022 when a fire on MV Holiday Island near Wood Islands led to the evacuation of passengers using an emergency chute.