Emergency crews remain at the scene of a fire that broke out at a solar farm on Labour Day in Summerside, P.E.I. Summerside Police Services and the Summerside Fire Department first told residents and businesses along South Drive to shelter in place due to the fire around 7 a.m. Monday. The fire was contained by 9:30 a.m., but crews stayed to apply water to hot spots and monitor the site. Voluntary evacuation notice By Monday afternoon, residents within an approximately 500-metre radius of the scene were urged to evacuate the area. Police said the evacuation was issued “out of an abundance of caution” due to concerns surrounding smoke. A reception centre has opened at the St. Eleanors Community Centre on West Drive for affected residents. Shelter-in-place notice The shelter-in-place notice remains in effect Tuesday morning. Police say residents in the immediate area, including Bayview Drive, Seaweed Road and South Drive, as well as anyone in other areas experiencing a noticeable change in air quality, should: Closures Tuesday is the first day back to school for P.E.I. students, however, classes in the Three Oaks Family of Schools are cancelled due to the fire. Credit Union Place is also closed until further notice. Emergency officials say they will continue to monitor conditions and assess the situation. No significant change in conditions have been reported. The city-owned Summerside Sunbank Solar/Battery Farm opened in 2024 and has a capacity of 21.6 megawatts. With files from The Canadian Press For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
