Squamish Terminals fire continues to smoulder under timber berth
Shelter order lifted, schools open in Squamish
Firefighters continue to fight a stubborn fire smouldering under a berth at the Squamish Terminals north of Vancouver on Friday, almost 18 hours after it first was detected.
At 10 a.m. PT Friday, officials confirmed the fire was completely contained but the creosote timbers that form the structure under the pier were still burning.
An excavator was brought in to pull the asphalt surface off the structure so that firefighters could access the fire.
Squamish Terminals vice president Kim Stegeman said the berth is the older of two at the facility and is only used for about 20 per cent of the work on site, primarily for loading wood pulp, timber and steel products.
"Our primary objective right now is to put that fire out," she said.
Stegeman said it remains unclear how the fire will impact work at the damaged berth, but once the fire is completely out, work at the terminal's other berth will resume as soon as possible.
Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman said it was fortunate the winds — which make Squamish a popular destination for windsurfers and kiteboarders each summer — did not make the fire worse on Thursday night.
"The wind is either your friend or your foe In these situations and last night it actually helped because it pushed the fire off the docks," she said.
"It if had been blowing the other way, it could have been much more devastating to the terminals which, of course ... they employ a lot of people in town," said Heintzman
Shelter order lifted, schools open in Squamish
A shelter-in-place order has been lifted and schools in Squamish, B.C., will be open on Friday. The fire at the Nexen Beach marine terminal had filled the air with thick black smoke for much of the night.
On Friday morning, officials with the Sea to Sky school district said while schools will be reopened, students will be kept indoors all day.
"Our air intake vents at our schools were off as of 3:00 p.m. PT yesterday and were remotely accessed last evening to ensure they would not open this morning. We have also had staff out checking on schools and the air quality at each of them since very early this morning," according to a statement issued by the school district.
Officials with the municipality also said air quality was improved and the order to stay indoors had been lifted for now, but cautioned conditions could change.
Fire fighting efforts continue
Vancouver fire officials confirmed that as of 8 a.m. fire boat #3 remained on the scene fighting the fire.
"As fire crews continue to battle the blaze, air quality could change throughout the day due to variables such as wind, heat and fire fighting efforts. Provincial officials will continue to monitor the air quality and we will advise here if a shelter-in-place alert needs to be reinstated," said a statement issued by emergency officials.
"Brennan Park Recreation Centre will be open today as usual. As a safety precaution, any outdoor programming running today by Recreation Services will take place inside. Field users and other outdoor bookings, please check in with your organization directly to determine if your activity will go ahead," said a statement on the district's Facebook page
"The District of Squamish ... report that there is a low health risk currently across Squamish and that we may see the fire worsen as the tide goes out and the winds shift again. With this in mind, their staff are predicting that later today we may see the air quality reduced to a moderate risk level again," said the statement issued by the school district.
Ordered to stay indoors
Residents of Squamish were initially advised to stay stay indoors and close their windows and doors on Thursday evening, while emergency responders fought the large fire at the nearby marine terminal.
The fire started shortly after 6 p.m. PT Thursday at the pier, which is built from timber treated with creosote posts. Large plumes of smoke filled the sky over the town for much of the night.
By 1 a.m., the fire was reported to be 90 per cent extinguished, but firefighters were waiting for the tide to drop so that they could access the smouldering remains of the fire under the dock.
Nobody was hurt in the fire. The cause of the fire has yet to be released.
It also remains unclear how the damage will affect operations at Squamish Terminals, which have been closed for the day on Friday.