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
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.