A major portion of the biggest port in Canada had to be shut down on Wednesday following a chemical fire that broke out amid numerous shipping containers that had been piled up in a yard east of Vancouver's downtown core.
Local residents were forced to take shelter inside their homes due to the toxic smoke, while workers at Port Metro Vancouver and in the surrounding area had to cover their faces with scarves and towels as they streamed right out of their respective offices.
By the early evening, firefighters had managed to contain the fire and residents were allowed to leave their homes, however, people received warning to stay away from the vicinity of the port.
"The smoke is lessening, but we strongly advise people to stay away from the area of the fire," the City of Vancouver commented via its official Twitter account.
With the current scenario being that the fire was still burning, it remained unclear when operations would return to their normal activity at the Port and the surrounding businesses.
Video: CBC News
The blaze was met with an emergency response due to the fact that the burning shipping container contained trichloroisocyanuric acid, which is a hazardous organic compound that can easily irritate and cause damage to one’s eye and skin. There were no reports regarding any kind of injuries.
Port Metro Vancouver initiated an evacuation procedure of its Centerm container terminal, which is operated by DP World Vancouver, shut down all port operations on the south side of the Burrard Inlet, including a Canadian Pacific rail line and also cut off truck access to several facilities of the port.
Having canceled all trains to the suburbs east of the city as well as having certain buses detoured in order to avoid the area of the toxic fire, rush hour commuters had quite a hard time finding alternative routes.
Meanwhile, Police urged nearby residents to remain in their homes and keep all windows closed. The neighborhoods that were affected included parts of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, where a large portion of Vancouver’s homeless people reside.
At a certain point, local health authority officials warned people to use a wet towel to cover their mouths and noses when outside, and also urged anyone experiencing difficulty breathing to immediately seek medical attention.
The fire department reported that 21 firefighters in total were appointed to the area of the fire. The Port Authority was first notified about the accident at approximately 19:40 GMT. The cause behind the fire could not be determined at the moment.
The Centerm terminal is one of a total of four container terminals in Port Metro Vancouver.
Chemical fire at Port of Metro Vancouver contained, but still smoldering
WATCH: Fire crews respond to a container chemical fire at Port Metro Vancouver, forcing a partial evacuation of some areas. Jeremy Hunka reports.
- Chemical fire is contained but still smoldering, crews on scene all night watching for flare-ups
- Air quality is at an acceptable level now, people are safe to go outside
- People with lung disease, asthma, emphysema need to monitor themselves for 24 hours if they were in the area where they could notice smoke
- Lung irritation can occur up to 24 hours later.
- Not yet known how fire started
- Updates to be provided throughout the day
A fire at the Port of Metro Vancouver Wednesday afternoon prompted a Hazmat response, the evacuation of hundreds of people and forced the closure of the port.Trichloroisocyanuric acid (a bleaching agent and industrial disinfectant) was burning for more than an hour. The fire started in one shipping container, quickly spreading to three containers. Fire crews had a difficult time reaching the container because it was buried in the middle of a pile of containers – six deep on each side, and two high from the ground. It’s exact cause is not known.
“We don’t know how it started,” said Chief Dan Wood of the Vancouver Fire Department.
“It could have been contamination, it could have been a leak in the container from water, or maybe an oily floor board. We’re not sure, but we’ll investigate.”
The fire was contained and the overall damage was relatively minimal. But at least three people were checked into hospital with respiratory concerns, and the effects of hundreds of thousands of people being exposed to the acid remain to be seen.
As of Thursday morning, the fire is about a third of its original size.
Vancouver Fire & Rescue are on site focussing on monitoring air quality in the area for acceptable levels.
Thirty firefighters and three aerial ladder trucks are on scene.
WATCH: Global’s Grace Ke reports live from East Vancouver Thursday morning as the fire is still smoldering. There are reports of flare-ups overnight and the area is still covered in a bit of a haze.
DP World, the company who owns the material in the container, said on Thursday they have brought an occupational hygienist to the site to assess and assist with the necessary control measures to minimise the impact of the fire. A specialist environmental contractor has also been engaged to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding area and marine habitat.
The fire started just before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and was quickly upgraded to a four-alarm blaze. The call was put out for 21 firefighters to staff multiple fire trucks. At least eight fire trucks and more than 24 firefighters had already responded to the incident.
“They evacuated all the mechanics out of the maintenance yard,” says one witness, Vince De Benedetto. “It’s been getting worse by the second.”
The Vancouver Fire Department says the call came in at 1:38 p.m. of a fire in a shipping container at the Centerm container terminal. The fire was upgraded shortly after crews arrived at a Hazmat Level 3 call.
WATCH: Aerial footage of the fire:
Two fireboats were dispatched to stage at the north end of Centennial Pier. By 6:30 p.m., Port Metro Vancouver said that fire was considered under control, as crews worked diligently to contain a blaze that could be seen throughout downtown and could be smelt for many miles to the east.
“In a vapour it can be very dangerous,” said Vancouver City Manager Penny Ballem.
“It can be explosive, that has not happen. We’re very gratified about that.”
Stay inside, shelter in place – now lifted
Everyone east of Main, north of 1st Ave and west of Nanaimo, were told to close their windows, stay inside and shelter in place. Vancouver Police asked people that if they had to go out to leave a note on the door to let people know they self-evacuated. People were also advised to cover their mouth and nose with a wet cloth for safety.
Dr. Patricia Daly from Vancouver Coastal Health says there was not a need to evacuate the public. “If they can remain in place at the moment, doors and windows closed, that’s the best advice,” she says.
To shelter in place:
- Go indoors immediately and stay there.
- Close all windows and doors.
- Turn off the furnace, air conditioners and exhaust systems.
- Listen to the radio or TV for more information.
While the smoke is lessening, people are still urged to stay away from the area at 700 Centennial St.
Four alarm chemical fire at Port of Metro Vancouver prompts evacuations
Transit affected
The Vancouver Fire Department closed off a portion of the downtown, impacting bus operations as well as cancelling all West Coast Express service departing Waterfront.
All bus operations slowly resumed service in the hours after receiving the all clear from the City of Vancouver’s Emergency Operations Centre.
All West Coast Express travellers should find alternate transportation or travel via the Millennium or Expo SkyTrain lines from Waterfront Station to Lougheed Station, where a bus bridge will take them to the various WCE stations all the way to Mission. Buses will be clearly marked as either “Special” or “West Coast Express.”
The West Coast Express was the only form of transit disrupted for the entire evening, as debris from the firefighting efforts was still on the track. TransLink believes morning service will not be disrupted.
Passengers are encouraged to use Translink’s online trip planner to get specific bus route information to their destination http://tripplanning.translink.ca/ or contact the customer service desk at 604.953.3333 for detailed trip planning advice.
WATCH: David Rogers from BCHAZMAT tells Global News about the safety protocols in place
What is trichloroisocyanuric acid?
Trichloroisocyanuric acid is a bleaching agent and industrial disinfectant. It is also a possible eye and skin irritant. Karen Bartlett from the UBC School of Population and Public Health says when the substance burns it is going to release a chlorine gas.
Her concern is for residents of the Downtown Eastside, who do not have somewhere to go find shelter. They are advised to go to a mall or somewhere similar to seek protection.
“There’s the possibility there will be inflammatory response and the lungs don’t like that irritancy and they produce fluid,” says Bartlett.
“It’s an acute, but not chronic problem.”
Residents in other areas of the Lower Mainland also reported seeing and smelling the smoke. The whole stretch of Lougheed Highway, between Boundary Road and Commercial Drive, was very hazy while the fire was burning. The smoke seems to have come up and over the hump and was sitting in the Grandview Highway Valley. Everyone, including drivers, were advised to keep their windows closed. Meteorologist Kristi Gordon says the winds are not expected to change much at this time, and although the smoke has drifted far, there is not much dispersion.
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