B.C. cargo ship fires may take days to put out: coast guard
The Canadian Coast Guard says it may be several days before fires can be put out inside containers on a cargo ship anchored off the Victoria coast.
Paul Barrett, the planning section chief for the coast guard's unified command, says there are at least five fires burning in containers that are believed to be storing tires on the MV Zim Kingston.
Danaos Shipping Co., the ship's owner, says in a statement it is co-operating with Canadian officials and has contracted a firefighting company to help fight the fires.
The company says the trouble began when two containers on the ship caught fire, while another 40 fell into the water as it approached Vancouver, before it anchored for repairs in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Since the containers fell, they've been tracked moving northward along the west coast of Vancouver Island and some have been spotted off Cape Scott on the northern tip of the island.
J.J. Brickett, the coast guard's federal incident commander, says the vessel is able to operate but crews are taking a measured approach in ensuring the fires have been put out.
Canadian officials say at least 10 containers caught fire and crews battled the flames over the weekend.
Danaos Shipping's statement says it has permission from the Canadian Coast Guard to allow technical experts and two marine firefighters on board the ship.
Barrett said there are 20 people aboard comprising a mix of crew and firefighters.
The coast guard says it is monitoring air quality along Victoria's waterfront and has not recorded any unusual or dangerous changes caused by the fire.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.