Victoria fire crews were busy Friday afternoon battling a blaze on a car barge. Isabelle Raghem reports.
A barge fire on the Gorge Waterway burned several crushed cars Friday afternoon.
According to the Victoria Fire Department Chief Paul Bruce, the fire started at around 2 p.m. in front of 2940 Jutland Road. Sixteen firefighters were called to the blaze, as well as two engines, a ladder truck and a rescue truck. A fire boat was also on scene putting water on the blaze.
“Our members responded quickly to a report of a barge on fire, which is always a scary report to receive by way of telephone,” Chief Bruce said.
A fire boat puts water on a car barge fire on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria on June 23.
When the fire started, flames could be seen shooting from the barge.
Bruce said the fire department also had to take a break from putting water on the barge to make sure that the barge remained stable and the water was properly draining off the barge. They also had to determine if there were any contaminants coming off of that water.
“Just like any other smoke, it is toxic,” Bruce said. “I was glad to see the wind taking the smoke away from people that were gathered to kind of watch it.”
According to Bruce, everyone was able to get off the barge after the fire started.
The barge belongs to Schnitzer Steel, the same company that a barge list in the waterway in August 2015. Twenty cars split into the water during the incident. The company was responsible for the clean-up costs afterwards.
Watch footage of the fire below:
Victoria fire crews are responding to a barge fire on the Gorge, reports of cars on fire.
Posted by CHEK News: Official Page on Friday, June 23, 2017
Posted by Janet Northey on Friday, June 23, 2017
Container fire on the Gorge. #VictoriaLIVE #YYJ pic.twitter.com/zetduqIIqB
— Sam Martorana (@SamintheVan) June 23, 2017
Fire in the gorge! @cbcnewsbc @timescolonist @OakBayNews @AllPointsWestBC @cfax1070 @CHEK_News pic.twitter.com/MH2rwQEBuE
— Michelle Kirby (@MichelleKOakBay) June 23, 2017
A fire is seen at a car barge on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria on June 23. Credit: Jonathan Noakez
A backhoe sits beside a fire on a barge on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria on June 23. Credit: James Rogers.
People watch a fire on a barge on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria on June 23. Credit: Robert Creese
People watch a fire on a barge on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria on June 23. Credit: Robert Creese
The view of a barge fire on the Gorge Waterway from Fisgard Street. Credit: Rosemary Smith
The view of a barge fire on the Gorge Waterway from Fisgard Street. Credit: Rosemary Smith
More to come
Alexa Huffman
