Dark and smelly smoke from a fire at a deep-water port billowed over the town of Squamish, B.C., Thursday night April 16, 2015, forcing municipal officials to ask residents to stay indoors.Silvester Law/The Canadian Press
Crews were battling a fire at the Squamish Terminals deep-water port in British Columbia on Friday, but an earlier warning to residents to stay indoors was no longer in effect.
The District of Squamish said it was lifting the alert Friday morning, but said it might need to be reinstated if air quality deteriorated.
The district said schools were open but students would be kept indoors all day as provincial officials monitored air quality and crews fought the blaze.
The fire was reported to be 90 per cent contained by early Friday.
Vancouver's fire department said its boat would be used to extinguish fire under the dock after the high tide recedes.
Kim Stegeman of Squamish Terminals said the blaze broke out early Thursday evening. The facility is located at the north end of Howe Sound, about an hour's drive from Vancouver.
There were no reported injuries.
"There was a ship at the dock, but it did not catch fire," said Stegeman.
"It is safe and away from danger. ... Everyone who was working on site was accounted for and evacuated."
Stegeman said she didn't know how the blaze started.
The fire emitted what Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman said was dark, toxic-smelling smoke that prompted the warning to residents to stay indoors.
Residents had been asked to keep doors and windows closed, turn off ventilation systems if possible and cover their noses and mouths with a wet towel if venturing outdoors.
A spokeswoman for B.C. Emergency Health Services said four ambulance crews, a helicopter and a critical-care team had been on standby, but no one was transported.