Vancouver residents woke up to smoky haze this morning (Sept. 10) after a fire broke out overnight.
The third-alarm blaze started at around 2:05 a.m. at a rubble pile located at 8501 Ontario St, according to Assistant Chief Dan Nichols, who was on the scene.
Flames are still going, adds Nichols. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"It's confined to its point of origin but we're having a hard time getting penetration into the rubble piles to put the fire out," Nichols tells Vancouver Is Awesome over the phone. "It's still going on inside of this debris pile."
The rubble is recycled housing materials, he explains further. The pile contains crushed-up wood and building materials.
Smoke has been reported around Metro Vancouver.
"If it gets to the point that [the smoke is] strong then yes [residents should] move to areas that are clear of the smoke," warns Nichols. Using a portable air cleaner or going to a public building with air conditioning are a few ways to escape the smoke.
