Crews continue to fight fire on cargo ship near Vancouver Island, Coast Guard says
Update: The fire was reportedly extinguished about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, according to AP.
Crews continued to fight a fire on board a cargo vessel in Strait of Juan de Fuca waters near Victoria, British Columbia, the Canadian Coast Guard said via social media on Sunday.
The fire on board the Zim Kingston started Saturday, damaging containers and leading to the evacuation of 16 people.
“Active fire fighting is underway at the M/V Zim Kingston and we are seeing a reduction in fire and smoke,” the Canadian Coast Guard said in a tweet Sunday morning. “Right now the containers appear to be smoldering. Gale force winds are predicted for the east entrance of Juan de Fuca strait. Teams will be monitoring air quality both on the water and on shore.”
The Coast Guard says an emergency zone around the ship has been extended to two nautical miles.
The fire appeared to be caused by chemicals that had spilled from damaged containers, the Times Colonist reports.
The ship had been on its way to Vancouver, B.C., from Busan, South Korea, according to the newspaper.
Zim Kingston is transporting 52,080 kilograms of potassium amyl xanthate, a product used in the mining sector, according to the paper.
It’s been a tough weekend for the ship and crew. The Zim Kingston also lost 40 containers overboard on Friday after the ship listed in heavy seas, the Times Colonist reports.
This story was originally published October 24, 2021 at 12:19 PM with the headline "Crews continue to fight fire on cargo ship near Vancouver Island, Coast Guard says."
