A large fire that was burning in Abbotsford, B.C. on Wednesday morning has now been extinguished, local police confirm.
Flames erupted at a vehicle holding lot at Sumas Mountain Road and North Parallel Road, filling the sky with thick black smoke and burning several vehicles.
Residents in the area were initially warned to stay indoors as the smoke could potentially be toxic, but Abbotsford police said shortly after 2 p.m. the fire had been put out.
“This truly was a team effort from all involved to prevent further damage and spread,” the service tweeted.
The structure fire was in the Sumas Prairie, which has been the site of serious flooding.
The City of Abbotsford doubled down on an evacuation order Tuesday night, urging all residents who remain in the Sumas Prairie to leave immediately amid further flooding that’s expected to be “catastrophic.”
An evacuation order was issued earlier Tuesday for the entire portion of the Sumas Prairie to the Chilliwack border in the eastern Fraser Valley after the torrential weekend rain.
But at a late-night news conference, Mayor Henry Braun said about 300 people, including farmers, have refused to leave.
— with files from Amy Judd and Toby Kerr