Abandoned BC Ferries vessel on fire in Mission; nearby residents advised to shelter in place
Posted May 3, 2025 10:48 am.
Last Updated May 5, 2025 11:32 am.
The Queen of Sidney — an old abandoned BC Ferries vessel — is on fire on the Fraser River in Mission. The Mission Emergency Operations Centre has issued a shelter-in-place advisory for nearby residents.
The fire is generating significant smoke, which is now being blown toward the northwest Silverdale area due to shifting winds.
It is recommended that residents in the affected area remain inside, ensure all doors and windows are closed, and deactivate ventilation systems that draw in external air.
According to the RCMP in Mission, the fire started around 2 a.m. on Saturday. The Mission Fire Rescue Service and Mission Search and Rescue are at the scene to monitor the situation.
Shelter-in-place advisory will end later today
In an interview with CityNews Vancouver, Mission Mayor Paul Horn says the ferry contained a variety of vehicles, forklifts, and scrap material.
“As a result of that, Mission Fire Rescue Service chose to let the fire burn rather than putting water onto the fire and risking pollution into the river,” he said.
Mark Goddard, Mission’s fire chief, says that the fire “continues to smolder, but smoke production has reduced significantly from last night, and it’s considered likely that the fire will get smaller and off-gas for the remainder of the day.”
The shelter-in-place advisory was lifted around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.
Mission Fire Rescue Service reports that a Coast Guard vessel is en route to assess potential pollution. Once the fire is extinguished, the Canadian Coast Guard will take over the site, as this section of the Fraser River falls under federal jurisdiction.
Additionally, a contractor is currently conducting air quality modeling in the area.
Cause of fire remains unknown
At this point, the authorities have not been able to verify the cause of the fire. Mayor Horn says it is under investigation.
However, the RCMP said earlier this morning in a press release that “there is nothing to indicate the fire was intentionally set.”
The retired BC Ferries vessel was in operation from 1960 to 2000.
According to the mayor, the City of Mission has been lobbying the provincial and federal governments for the removal of this vessel since about 2007.
The vessel was regularly inspected over the last few years to prevent chemical leaks as the city kept asking its government partners for the ferry’s removal.
