Container ship fire off Canada no longer spreading
A container fire off the coast of British Columbia, Canada appears to be under control.
That’s according to Canadian Coast Guard Commander JJ Brickett on Sunday.
“The company itself is reporting that the majority of the fire is actually out. We still see it smoldering. What they were attempting to do is let the fire burned down. In other words, the container consume itself with the fuel while keeping everything else around it cool so they wouldn't ignite. When we are looking at the imagery, we can't see any scorching or charring of those adjacent containers. That's a really good sign."
In a statement earlier on Sunday the company that manages the container ship, Danaos Shipping, said no injuries had been reported.
Sixteen crew members were evacuated from the MV Zim Kingston after the fire broke out earlier in the weekend, while five remained onboard to fight the fire.
Tug boats were seen spraying water around the fire to contain it.
The ship is anchored several miles off the southern coast of Vancouver Island.
Officials have ensured that residents are safe and commercial ports are still in operation.
Canada’s coast guard said it’s been working with its U.S. counterpart to track 40 containers that had fallen overboard after bad weather on Friday, more of which is expected to hit the region Sunday.
Mariners are advised to stay clear of the area.
