By Mark Edward Nero
A shipping container caught fire at Canada’s
largest port on the afternoon of March 4, resulting in an evacuation of the
area due to dangerous, potentially toxic fumes. More than a dozen people were
hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.
Port Metro Vancouver says it received reports of the
container fire about 1:40 pm Wednesday at the Centerm Container Terminal,
located on the south shore of Burrard Inlet. Vancouver Coastal Health later
confirmed the material inside was a hazardous organic compound -
trichloroisocyanuric acid - a possible eye and skin irritant that is commonly
used to chlorinate pools.
The chemical, according to Vancouver fire Chief Dan Wood, is
an oxidizer, meaning it produces oxygen that adds to a fire. Although the
four-alarm blaze was confined to a single shipping container, it forced the
shutdown of much of the port as well an advisory for those living east of the
area to stay indoors with their windows closed due to the smoke and potential
for release of toxic substances into the air.
At least 10 fire trucks and more than two dozen firefighters
responded to the blaze and a pair of fire boats were also battled the blaze
from the north end of a pier.
The Centerm terminal and nearby port properties were
evacuated for about four hours during the incident, and all port operations
along the south shore of Burrard Inlet shut down, including rail and truck
access.
Thirteen people were hospitalized at two local hospitals for
smoke inhalation, according to the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, but were
released within hours.
