Firefighters are seen during operations to extinguish a fire on a barge in Surrey, B.C., in a Friday, April 3, 2026, handout photo. The Metro Vancouver Regional District says it's monitoring air quality after a barge fire sent considerable smoke into the air. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Metro Vancouver Regional District (Mandatory Credit)

By The Canadian Press

No one injured after a barge fire in Surrey, B.C., sent heavy smoke into air

Apr 3, 2026 | 12:01 PM

SURREY — Officials say they are monitoring the air quality after a barge fire in Surrey, B.C., sent large plumes of smoke into the air.

Metro Vancouver Regional District said it’s aware of a barge fire near the stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge, also known as Riverview Bridge, which connects Surrey and New Westminster.

The district said in a social media post on Friday that the blaze is producing “considerable smoke.”

Geoff McIntyre, assistant chief of Surrey Fire Services, said crews were called to the scene at about 11 p.m. on Thursday after receiving a report of a commercial structure fire.

Upon arrival, crews identified a barge engulfed in heavy flames and smoke in the river, said McIntyre.

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“Due to the severity of the fire, the incident was escalated to a second alarm response, which brought to the scene a total of 22 fire suppression staff and multiple apparatus,” said McIntyre.

There has been no report of injuries, and the cause of the fire is undetermined at the time, said McIntyre.

The district said firefighting efforts are ongoing as a video posted by the district showed a fireboat using water cannons to put out the flames.

The video showed that goods on the barge had been reduced to ashes.

McIntyre said the barge was loaded with scrap metal parts, and now firefighters are slowly moving all material from the barge to find the seat of the fire.

“We are providing fire suppression as it gets moved on to the land and from the river,” said McIntyre.

The district said the fire drew a response from Surrey Fire Services and the Canadian Coast Guard, and the fire suppression operations were expected to continue throughout Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April. 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press