Red Bridge Fire Kamloops

Disclaimer:

• Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR)
• Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change

Incident description

Incident Date	September 19, 2024
Name	DGIR: 243671
Source	Fire
Nearest Community	Kamloops, BC
Spilled Content	Unknown/woody debris
Who is involved	Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), Kamloops Fire Rescue, City of Kamloops, Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc, Stk'emlupsemc Te Secwepemc Nation, Department of Fisheries and Ocean Canada (DFO), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), Interior Health Authority (IHA), Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC)

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Response phase details

The responsible person or spiller is legally required to cleanup or manage the cleanup of a spill.

In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) may assume the role. 

The updates below reflect the ministry’s oversight of the spillers’ actions. Details describe the spill response phase only and not the complete lifecycle of the spill. Visit the 'More information' page for other reports. 

Updates are in reverse chronological order with the most recent at the top.

Industry-specific language may be explained in the Glossary of Terms (PDF, 106KB).

Most recent updates

October 10

Operations continue to remove the bridge structure and debris. Protective measures have been implemented while operations occur.

Water quality sample results have been received and reviewed. Hydrocarbon contaminant levels were slightly above standards within 100 m of the bridge remnants. Additional sampling and monitoring will be undertaken during operations.

EEROs and ENV Recovery staff will continue to monitor environmental impacts. Further updates will be provided if water quality results deteriorate.

October 3

Work continues to remove debris and bridge structure.

EEROs continue to monitor response actions. ENV Recovery staff are monitoring environmental impacts.

Boat access remains restricted. Nearby beaches remain closed to public access.

Water quality sample results are expected to be received and reviewed this week.

Further updates will be made as updated information is available.

September 27

Work continues to remove debris and bridge structure.

Environmental consultants continue to monitor and mitigate impacts to the environment.

EEROs continue to monitor response actions. ENV Recovery staff are monitoring environmental impacts.

The debris is being sorted on-site and transported to appropriate landfills.

Log booms continue to prevent large debris from moving down the river.

The river remains closed to boat access. Nearby beaches remain closed to public access.

September 22

An EERO visited the site and observed less debris. Efforts to remove the remaining debris will continue. Log booms continue to prevent large debris from moving down the river.

Environmental consultants are on site and collecting samples to check the water quality.

Work continues to separate the damaged parts of the bridge from the undamaged bridge.

No impacts to water quality or fish have been detected so far.

September 21

There are sections of the bridge that are still burning. Kamloops Fire and Rescue remain on scene monitoring the fire.

The log booms are in place and are reducing the amount of material drifting downstream.

Wooden debris is also coming ashore on the south bank of the River Thompson. MOTI have a contractor to remove these materials from the south beaches.

Cutting Edge are now working on cutting the damaged parts of the bridge for removal.

Water quality, air quality and fish are all still being monitored. No impacts have been detected so far.

September 20

Debris from the fire is still in the water and continues to float downstream. Log booms are being moved in to place to capture the debris in the river.

Cutting Edge have been hired to oversee the removal of the damaged bridge. They are looking at cutting down the remaining unstable parts of the bridge. A barge will be needed to remove the remaining sections of the bridge.

Live fry can be seen in the river and appear to be currently unaffected by the fire.

Water quality, air quality and fish are all still being monitored. No impacts have been detected so far.

September 19

Early in the morning on September 19, 2024, a bridge in Kamloops caught fire. The bridge is near the intersection of Athabasca street and Mt. Paul way, and is known as the Red Bridge.

The fire caused the bridge to collapse into the river. Sections of the remaining bridge continue to burn.

The bridge is under the ownership of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), who are the Responsible Person (RP) in this incident. MOTI have hired a consultant to help with response actions.

Kamloops Fire Rescue and an Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) are on site to monitor the situation.

The collapsed bridge is being monitored for the impacts to the fish in the river. In particular, the salmon are being monitored, as they generally spawn in the fall and winter. Concerns for the ability of the salmon to pass the bridge will be addressed in the remediation actions.

The fire did release smoke in the area. At this time there are no impacts detected to air quality.

Both FNHA and IHA have been notified and water quality is being monitored as well. No water quality impacts have been detected so far.