The RCMP has launched an investigation into the circumstances of a suspicious fire that saw a derelict former BC Ferries ship catch fire and burn wildly overnight near Mission, B.C.
A statement from the City of Mission said its emergency operations centre was activated early Saturday after a fire aboard the Queen of Sidney ferry, which is currently sitting in the waters of the Fraser River, approximately two kilometres from the municipality of 41,500 people.
RCMP in Mission said in a statement that Mission firefighters notified them of the fire around 2 a.m. Saturday. The vessel was completely engulfed in flames.
Both police and the city urged residents nearby to remain inside because of smoke and the potential presence of hazardous airborne materials. Residents near the blaze were also advised to keep their doors and windows closed and turn off ventilation systems that bring in outside air.
The retired BC Ferries vessel was in operation from 1960 until its retirement in 2000.
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Its current owners, who renamed it Bad Adventure, have reportedly had a long history of squabbles with local and provincial politicians.
Mission said that following a co-ordination call earlier Saturday, multiple agencies are actively engaged in managing the situation and what happens to the ship next.
These include the Mission Fire Rescue Service, the provincial and federal ministries of environment, the RCMP, and the Canadian Coast Guard. The Canadian Coast Guard is deploying to the scene to assist with marine and environmental safety operations, the city said.
On its website, the City of Mission said the cause of the fire had not been determined but added it “is considered suspicious.” It did not elaborate.
The RCMP added: “At this time there is nothing to indicate the fire was intentionally set, although due to the hazardous nature of the smoke and the overall condition of the vessel, investigators have not been able to board the former ferry.”
Mission authorities said the fire was under control by mid-afternoon but warned that the mass of charred metal would continue to smolder for several more days.
The fire onboard the derelict ship represents a tragic, undignified end for a once storied vessel.
The ferry was one of the first two first ordered built by then-B.C. premier W.A.C. Bennett when he created the BC Ferries Crown corporation in 1958.
During its maiden voyage two years later, Bennett also introduced British Columbia’s new provincial flag after pulling it out of a suitcase and running it up the mast.
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