BREAKING - Port Metro Vancouver chemical fire involves multiple containers

A massive chemical fire has erupted at Port Metro Vancouver just east of downtown Vancouver.
According to Port Metro Vancouver, the fire broke out just after 1:30 p.m. and is located at the Centerm container terminal where there is a four-alarm fire at multiple containers.

Thick white smoke can be seen billowing out of the area from kilometres away. The public is advised to avoid the cloud of smoke as it contains a hazardous organic compound known as trichloroisocyanuric acid, a possible eye and skin irritant.

In response, the City has advised residents near the Port to go indoors and close their windows; everyone in the immediate vicinity east of Main Street and north of 1st Avenue is asked to find shelter and stay indoors.

[link to www.vancitybuzz.com]

PHOTOS: Fire at Vancouver port prompts hazardous materials response, partial evacuation

[link to news.nationalpost.com]

At 3:17 p.m. Port Metro Vancouver tweeted that it was shutting down all its operations and evacuating its personnel on the south shore of Burrard Inlet as the fire department and officials with Vancouver Coastal Health contemplated evacuations further ashore.

The fire department reported around 3:20 p.m. that three containers were on fire and that two fire boats had staged the north end of Centennial Pier.

CP Rail was advised by the fire department to shut down its rail line, which passes right by the blaze, and the commuter West Coast Express train may be delayed.


[link to www.theglobeandmail.com]

Wow I'm right there everyday I must have just missed it. Got off in North van at 1:00 this afternoon.

Transit massively affected

2-3hour delays

and so it begins

trichloroisocyanuric acid, which can be used as an industrial disinfectant,


as a chemist, that's a particularly nasty arrrangement of atoms.

Wow I would have been on the 160 going down east Hastings. Whew just missed it.

Earlier?

Earlier?

[youtube] [link to m.youtube.com (secure)]

Fire dept claims to have the upper hand

[link to www.cbc.ca]

containers of nerve gas or chemical weapons.....this wouldn't be good

I was watching global live and it was clearing up but it looks like theres still a cloud

Aww shit, those were the containers I was gonna buy to build my sweet bunker!

Looks like the toxic clouds blew east towards burnaby.
Imagine had it blown in towards main & hastings gastown.
Oh dear..

Ill say

Isocyanate

Chloro anything

Dayum....

[link to globalnews.ca]


wow downtown smoked out

Why is this pinned? It's not that bad, they got it under control and the chemical is basically another type of chlorine. Now post something interesting like UFOs!

My office was minutes away. We ran from the building to that cars about 20ft and my throat is burning like fire.
total chemical fire but my question is how did it start? Was it detonated?