'Lucky is an understatement,' says Bay de Verde resident whose home undamaged in plant fire

A woman who lives a short distance from the fish processing plant in Bay de Verde says the community is lucky damage was contained to the plant, and volunteer firefighters are to thank.

The Quinlan Brothers plant is a smouldering heap Tuesday, after a fire that started early Monday morning continued to burn through most of the day.

• Bay de Verde residents in plant fire evacuation left to 'pick up the pieces'
• Massive fire out at Bay de Verde fish plant, firefighters continue to monitor the scene
• Bay de Verde fire: Mayor, plant workers ponder town's future in fire's aftermath

Christy Coish lives "a stone's throw away" from the fish plant, but despite the proximity, her home was not damaged in the blaze.

"The way the wind was it just kept it off my house and went up past my house. The houses up from me are affected," she told CBC's St. John's Morning Show Tuesday.

"Lucky is an understatement."

'My heart is broken'

Coish was up early Monday, as her partner got ready for a morning shift at the plant, when they both looked out the window and saw smoke billowing from their workplace.

That's where I've worked since '93, that's the only thing I've known.- Christy Coish

According to Coish, the reality that the plant is goneis still setting in.

"It most definitely is the heart of the community. That's where I've worked since '93, that's the only thing I've known."

Her co-workersat the fish plant are her "family," she said, andshe's not sure what the next steps are.

"I woke up this morning and put a status on Facebook'as daylight is breaking my heart is broken' As I'm sitting here looking out my kitchen window ... there's just no words to describe how I feel," said an emotional Coish.

"I have no idea [what I'm going to do], but I don't have no worries they're gonna look after us."

The day after the fire, Coish said she's just thankful no one was hurt.

"There's no words to say how I feel about the fire department today. Without the volunteers that we have here in our community we would have nothing," she said. "Volunteers are everything."

Quinlan Brothers said Tuesday the company is planning to rebuild.

'The people are amazing'

Meanwhile, a man who owns a summer home in nearby Ochre Pit Cove wantsto help the workers out.

Bob Kelland said he used to be able to look over at all the crab coming into the plant for processing, but that won't be happening anymore.

"Both my boys go down to the wharf in Ochre Pit Cove, they see the crab coming in, we know it's heading up to the plant in Bay de Verde, and they both felt sorry for the people there same as I did and said, 'Well maybe we can do something to help it,'" said Kelland, who has started a GoFundMe fundraiser.

"The people are amazing and I plan to eventually live there in the area. I can't say enough about it, it's just a beautiful place, beautiful community and beautiful people."

Kelland has set a $70,000 goal - $100 for every displaced fish plant worker.

"I don't know if I'll get to $70,000, but I sure would like to try."