Fire Burns Aboard Container Ship Off British Columbia

VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) — A fire was burning in several containers aboard a cargo ship off Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia on Sunday.

The Canadian Coast Guard said it received word late Saturday morning that a fire had broken out in 10 damaged containers aboard the MV Zim Kingston, which is now anchored about five miles off the provincial capital of Victoria, and that two of the burning containers contain hazardous material identified as potassium amylxanthate.

The coast guard notes that the ship itself is not on fire, but said an emergency zone has been set up for one nautical mile around the Zim Kingston, adding there is currently no safety risk to people on shore.

“No injuries were reported. The fire appears to have been contained,” Danaos Shipping Co, the company that manages the container ship, said in a emailed statement.

The Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre in Victoria says 16 crewmembers have been safely taken off the ship, while five others, including the captain, remain on board at their own behest.

Canadian Coast Guard spokeswoman Michelle Imbeau says an Incident Command Post led by the Coast Guard on behalf of the federal and British Columbia’s governments, as well as First Nations representatives, is coordinating a multi-agency response to the incident.

She said the Command Post is also working with the U.S. Coast Guard to monitor 40 containers that fell overboard from the Zim Kingston in choppy waters on Friday, and are currently floating about 12 nautical miles off the west coast of Vancouver Island, near Bamfield, British Columbia.

The Coast Guard said the containers, some of which contain hazardous material, pose a significant risk to mariners, and that with stormy weather in Sunday’s forecast, recovering them may be a challenge.

It said a Hazmat crew from Vancouver is mobilizing and that the owner of the Zim Kingston has contracted the U.S. based Resolve Marine Group for salvage operations, including fire fighting as well as the recovery of the containers.