Barge fire sends massive plume of smoke over Surrey, B.C., and neighbouring cities

Viewer-submitted videos show the fire that erupted on a barge in Surrey, B.C., on April 2, 2026.

Crews are continuing to battle a fire that erupted on a barge on the Fraser River late Thursday night, sending a massive plume of smoke over B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

Social media images show the fire raging on the Surrey side of the river, near the stal̕əw̓asəm (Riverview) Bridge, and firefighters attacking the flames from the shore and water.

Geoff McIntyre, assistant chief of the Surrey Fire Services, said the fire broke out at a recycling facility on Musqueam Drive.

Crews arrived on scene around 11 p.m. to find the vessel engulfed in flames.

“It looks to be a barge with large amounts of scrap metal on board,” McIntyre said.

“Due to the severity of the incident it was raised to a second alarm, which brought 22 fire suppression staff on scene.”

No injuries have been reported, but authorities said extinguishing the fire has been challenging. Crews worked throughout the night, and are expected to spend most of Friday hosing down burning metal so it can be removed with excavators.

McIntyre said the barge is under the jurisdiction of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Surrey firefighters attacked the flames from land, while Vancouver crews dispatched a firefighting boat to assist with the effort.

It’s unclear what caused the fire. An investigation won’t begin until the flames are fully extinguished and the scene is safe, McIntyre said.

On social media, Metro Vancouver Regional District said staff are “observing the situation and monitoring air quality” due to the “considerable smoke” produced by the fire.

Air quality readings are available online, though officials noted they may not capture the impacts from the barge fire.