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Flames rip through waterfront park, damage boardwalk in New Westminster (PHOTOS)

The blaze has worked into the pier's creosote pilings and could burn for days
westminster-pier-park
New Westminster firefighters used a crane to spray water on the fire at Westminster Pier Park. Photo by Rick Fabbro

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — A waterfront park along the Fraser River in New Westminster, B.C., has been extensively damaged by a major fire.

New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote called the situation at Pier Park "devastating" in a social media message posted late Sunday night.

The park was built in 2009 and includes a lengthy boardwalk along a reclaimed pier just west of a SkyTrain bridge linking Surrey and New Westminster.

Cote's Twitter message says it is likely the old pier has been destroyed, while fire officials say the blaze has worked into the creosote pilings beneath the boardwalk and could burn for days.

Crews from several surrounding cities and a fire boat from Vancouver joined New Westminster firefighters in battling the flames, which broke out at about 8 p.m. Sunday.

Downtown resident Curtis Stanley told the New Westminster Record he noticed the fire just after 8 p.m.

“I went up on my roof and then I saw a black cloud of smoke. I was like, ‘this is going to get interesting.’ I took a step forward and saw it start to turn orange,” he said. “I ran down here.”

No one has been hurt and the SkyTrain bridge, which was closed overnight, reopened in time for the Monday morning commute, but a busy street running parallel to the park remains closed.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The New West Pier is on fire! 🚒 📸 Footage from @skidridge_ #Vancouver_IG

A post shared by VANCOUVER 🇨🇦 (@vancouver_ig) on

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Oldschoolcool (@_bottledale_) on

- With additional reporting from Theresa McManus/New Westminster Record

This report from The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2020