Image: The Queen of Sidney, which sat in the Fraser River since 2001, has set ablaze. / City of Mission
FERRY FIRE

Update: Derelict ferry fire in Mission under control, shelter-in-place advisory now lifted

May 3, 2025 | 3:33 PM

UPDATE 1:23 P.M. SATURDAY: The shelter-in-place advisory has been lifted for the area between Chester Street and 287 Street, south of Lougheed Highway. However, residents are asked to keep windows and doors closed in case smoke persists intermittently.

The fire is now largely under control, but may continue to smoulder for the next couple of days. Mission Fire and the Canadian Coast Guard remain on scene to monitor the situation closely.

“Although the ferry is not abandoned, its ownership is currently tied up in a court dispute,” said Mission Councillor Jag Gill in a social media post. “The City of Mission does not have jurisdiction over the vessel. City of Mission has been actively calling on the federal and provincial governments for over a decade to address the presence of this vessel and others nearby.”

“Moments like this show why proactive action matters.”

Aftermath of the ferry fire, at 10:51 a.m. / Source: Councillor Jag Gill

Original story from 8:34 a.m. Saturday:

MISSION — The City of Mission has activated its Emergency Operations Centre as a 65-year-old BC Ferry sets ablaze on the Fraser River.

Around 2 a.m. on May 3, the Mission Fire Rescue Service notified RCMP of the incident onboard the derelict Queen of Sidney ferry, which has been docked for years. Police then attended the area and found a large plume of smoke coming from the vessel. Mission Search and Rescue also helped monitor the situation from the river.

At 3:57 a.m., the City issued an alert as crews responded to the fire incident. Residents in the nearby area of Chester Street to 287 Street, south of Lougheed Highway, were advised about a shelter-in-place due to winds blowing smoke towards them.

Anyone in the surrounding vicinity has been asked to stay inside, close all doors and windows and turn off any vents drawing air from outside.

The shelter-in-place will remain until further notice.

All relevant agencies, including the Mission Fire Rescue Service, the provincial and federal Ministries of Environment and the RCMP, are working to manage the incident. The Canadian Coast Guard is deploying to help with marine and environmental safety operations.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but it is considered suspicious. Mounties and other responding agencies have now launched a formal investigation.

“At this time there is nothing to indicate the fire was intentionally set, although due to the hazardous nature of the smoke and the overall condition of the vessel, investigators have not been able to board the former ferry,” wrote the Mission RCMP in a release.

As of 9 a.m., the fire remains active, but behaviour and smoke are significantly reduced from earlier morning.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

The Queen of Sidney has sat in the river since 2001. As of 2023, it had been removed from the Canadian Coast Guard’s list of derelict ships, but concerns remained over its state of disrepair nonetheless.

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