Firefighters swiftly responded to a fire at a former lumber mill undergoing demolition in Delta, British Columbia, on Thursday morning. The City of Delta reported that crews were on scene at Alaska Way by 9:09 a.m. PT.
Both Delta Fire and Surrey Fire teams were actively working to contain the blaze, with the fire still burning but about 70% under control by midday, according to Deputy Chief Mike Donoghue of the Delta Fire Department. Donoghue praised the hard work of the crews battling the fire, which had initially produced dense smoke and flames reaching 200 feet (61 meters) into the air, with flames penetrating the roof upon arrival.
Notably, a significant fire had occurred at the same location a year prior, resulting in the mill’s closure. Presently, the site is in the midst of demolition operations. While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, Donoghue mentioned that suspicions of foul play are minimal due to the presence of demolition crews on-site. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries from the incident.
Residents were advised to avoid the affected area and take necessary precautions against the smoke, such as closing windows and remaining indoors. Additionally, Metro Vancouver conducted air quality monitoring following the fire. Geoff Doerksen, an air quality planner, confirmed that although the smoke plume had drifted eastward over Richmond, the levels of fine particulate matter in the air remained within acceptable limits.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority assured that port operations were unaffected by the fire and disclosed plans for decommissioning the site to facilitate future port-related activities, as there is currently no tenant occupying the mill property within the port’s jurisdiction.