Firefighters Put Out Scrap Metal Fire Aboard Bulker at Port of Vancouver
A fire broke out aboard a bulker at the port of Vancouver on Tuesday, prompting a region-wide response call-out for marine firefighters.
At about 2100 hours on Tuesday night, the Vancouver Fire Department received an alert about a cargo hold fire aboard a bulker at the port. The ship was loading scrap metal, and a pile of material had caught fire.
Because of the potential severity of shipboard fires, and the technical skills required to address them, the department reached out to the Marine Fire Safety Association and called up specialized personnel from around the Columbia River drainage.
The ship's crew responded first with its own firefighting team, and first responders arrived shortly after. Firefighters and crewmembers worked together to find the seat of the fire and put it out, the agency said. The blaze was out in about four hours, according to the Vancouver Fire Department - averting the serious consequences of a runaway scrap cargo fire.
Scrap metal cargoes are a significant risk for shipping due to the possibility of contaminants in the material. Because of the nature of the business, scrap often contains things that should not be included - like oily wastes and lithium ion batteries. Li-ion batteries have high potential for catching fire if damaged, and can ignite other flammables in the pile. The fires can burn for days, polluting the air and damaging the ship.
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This is not the first instance at the Port of Vancouver. Last October, the Vancouver Fire Department responded to a large and vigorous scrap metal fire at a metal-shredding plant on the waterfront, just down the road from the bulk cargo pier. 20 firefighters worked overnight to extinguish the flames.
At 8:40 p.m. Oct. 8, crews responded to smoke near the Port of Vancouver. Firefighters found heavy smoke & flames in a large scrap metal pile at 900 Port Way. 40+ firefighters from VFD & CCFD6 worked overnight to contain the fire. 20 remain on scene this a.m. No injuries reported pic.twitter.com/6X6QA8dlHP
— Vancouver Fire Department (@VanFirePIO) October 8, 2025
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