Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media
Industrial fire

Fire breaks out at industrial facility in Chilliwack early Thursday morning

Jun 19, 2025 | 5:58 AM

UPDATE 8:25 A.M.: Chilliwack Fire Chief Andrew Brown says firefighters from four halls responded to a fire at a waste and recycling transfer facility (Valley Waste & Recycling) on Aitken Road. Fire crews were first dispatched at 3:30 a.m. for the report of a fire.

Chief Brown says while en route, firefighters observed a significant column of smoke from the response area, prompting an immediate call for a second alarm. Upon arrival, fire crews confirmed there was a large debris pile approximately 60 feet by 200 feet on fire, with a large fabric covered metal structure as an exposure building.

Chief Brown says fire crews initiated a defensive attack quickly deploying master streams, while securing a water supply from an on-site hydrant to extinguish the fire. The fabric covering the metal structure sustained some heat damage.

At the time of this media release crews were still on-site overhauling the fire and extinguishing hot spots. Thankfully, there was no injuries to either the public or firefighters during this event. This fire is under investigation by the Chilliwack Fire Department at this time.

Original story below from 5:58 a.m. Thursday morning: 

CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack firefighters were called to an overnight fire at Valley Waste & Recycling on Aitken Road, a blaze that was upgraded to a second alarm.

According to a voice recording of a fire department page courtesy of Chilliwack resident Julie Hiscock, Chilliwack Fire Dept. Engines 1, 4, 1-2, Ladder 4 and the duty chief were notified at approximately 3:30 a.m. about a barn on fire at 44390 Progress Way. The actual address where the fire occurred was 8180 Aitken Road, which appears to be a newer facility.

Due to the second alarm, additional units and manpower converged on Aitken Road.

Scanner traffic indicates firefighters who responded to the barn fire observed a plume of smoke and confirmed the fire with dispatch. Firefighters estimated the fire to be approximately 60 feet by 200 feet.

A picture taken by Hiscock from a Chilliwack hillside shows a column of smoke billowing from what appears to be a barn at the industrial facility. That picture is the main image accompanying this story.

Multiple items, including rubbish, burned at the facility as firefighters attacked the blaze for well over an hour.

The duty chief was cleared from the scene at approximately 4:55 a.m.

Fraser Valley Today witnessed three fire trucks on scene at 5:15 a.m., including Engine 1, a rehab unit and a ladder truck, as smoke continued to billow from the scene. However, the smoke was not thick black smoke like the tire fire near Island 22 earlier this week in Chilliwack.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Smoke continued to pour out of Valley Waste & Recycling at 8180 Aitken Road as of 5:15 a.m. this morning.

One Chilliwack RCMP unit was on scene as of 5:15 a.m.

More details to come once the Chilliwack Fire Department issues a news release about the fire.

Click here to report an error or typo in this article