Public safety advisory for Vancouver due to ‘strong odour’ from Burnaby refinery fire cancelled

A public safety advisory, that was issued for Vancouver Sunday morning after a strong smell coming from a fire at the Burnaby refinery cloaked the city, was cancelled just after 2:30 p.m.

At around 7:30 a.m., the Burnaby Fire Department says it attended an “industrial incident” at the refinery.

“A small amount of fire from one location moved to another location that was maybe a little unsuitable within a unit,” Chief Chris Bowcock said.

“An emergency stop was initiated and any existing product was sent to the flare, which would be noticeable as the flare discharged a little larger.”

According to Parkland, the company that owns the refinery, it responded to an issue with one of its processing units Sunday morning alongside the RCMP and firefighters.

Bowcock adds the odour came from the snuffing of the fire.

Air quality affected in Vancouver

Throughout the event, CityNews received reports from callers who felt dizzy or sick from the smell.

According to Bowcock, the event didn’t pose a risk to the community, “as there was no significant health risk related to the odour and the smoke.”

However, at 11 a.m., a public safety advisory was issued by the City of Vancouver for the “strong odour.”

“Out of an abundance of caution, Vancouver Fire Rescue Services advises residents to close windows, doors and air intakes if you can smell the odour in your area,” the advisory reads.

“If you are outside and impacted by the odour, consider moving inside to places such as community centres or libraries.”

An air quality bulletin was issued for the northwest and northeast regions of Metro Vancouver, after officials say they received more than 100 odour complaints from residents of Vancouver and Burnaby.

This air quality bulletin remained in place even after the City of Vancouver cancelled its public safety advisory.

Fire Chief Karen Fry with the City of Vancouver says anyone affected by the smell should take extra precautions.

“If it’s quite extensive in your building, close your air intakes on your HVAC systems for a short time until the air quality improves,” she said.

At around 12:30 p.m., Parkland told CityNews: “Neighbours in the community may notice temporarily elevated smoke, odours and particulate matter. We continue to work with relevant authorities, and our refinery team is working to resolve this temporary issue.”

No injuries have been reported at this time, it adds.

Officials with Metro Vancouver say Parkland “holds a valid air quality permit with Metro Vancouver” and it’s currently assessing compliance with that permit.

Environmental regulation and enforcement officers are currently on-site to collect information about the situation, it adds.

Operations at some terminals on the south shore of the Port of Vancouver were temporarily impacted by the stink.

Several callers to CityNews began reporting the smell at about 8:30 a.m., from Coquitlam to Kitsilano.

The Burnaby refinery, owned by Parkland, is located north of the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on the shores of the Burrard Inlet.

On Friday, Parkland issued an information notice regarding “…higher than usual flare and potential intermittent noise over the next several days as start up
activities progress.”

The Burnaby Fire Department says it will remain on scene to continue to monitor the site of the incident.