Smoke was visible from kilometres away when a fire broke out at a Chilliwack waste-and-recycling facility in the early morning hours of Thursday.
Crews with the Chilliwack Fire Department were called to the blaze at Valley Waste and Recycling Inc. on Aitken Road around 3:30 a.m. on June 19.
"While en route, fire crews observed a significant column of smoke from the response area, prompting an immediate call for a second alarm," fire chief Andy Brown stated in a press release later that same morning.
A debris pile, approximately 60 feet by 200 feet was on fire in the waste-and-recycling transfer facility. A large, fabric covered metal structure sustained heat damage.
"Fire crews initiated a defensive attack quickly deploying master streams, while securing a water supply from an on-site hydrant to extinguish the fire."
Nearly five hours after the blaze started, crews were still on-site overhauling the fire and extinguishing hots spots.
Crews from halls 1, 2, 4 and 6 responded. There was no injuries to either the public or firefighters.
This fire is under investigation by the Chilliwack Fire Department.