Massive fire in Richmond sends plume of dark smoke into the air
Thick, dark smoke is filling the sky over parts of Richmond and Vancouver as a fire burns near the River Rock Casino Resort.
In an email to Daily Hive, Richmond Fire Rescue says this was an industrial fire and crews have “extinguished the warehouse portion of the fire and are working to extinguish the trestle bridge that runs across the north arm of the Fraser River.”
At this point, there is no word on a cause.
Many people have been posting about the fire since around 8 pm on Thursday and visibility was severely restricted on the Oak Street Bridge in Vancouver.
Sukhwant Dhillon/ AM600 SherE Punjab Radio
huge fire in richmond rn pic.twitter.com/eUPTgiCrJH
ā CALDER (@00calder) June 21, 2024
Richmond fire on Fraser riverš„ #richmondfire#vancouver pic.twitter.com/w4Sw1XkCbR
ā Leila Harris (@leilaharris) June 21, 2024
Fire in Richmond BC pic.twitter.com/t8BDv1QSo7
ā Luis Valencia (@luisjavaro) June 21, 2024
Massive fire by River Rock Casino right now. pic.twitter.com/kuyeyazQ1X
ā Jorge Amigo (@AmigoJor) June 21, 2024
On X, Vancouver police confirmed the Oak Street Bridge is shut down in both directions.
#VanTraffic: Oak Street Bridge is closed in both directions due to a large warehouse fire. Drivers are advised to choose another route. pic.twitter.com/IsEtFdiAc4
ā Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) June 21, 2024
According to Google Maps, traffic is extremely slow in some areas of South Vancouver and Richmond.
Traffic around Richmond and Vancouver is slow-moving as a fire burns in the area (Google Maps)