Fire at Vernon's Emterra Environmental Recycling Facility

Update – Emterra Fire Cause Still Unknown

Nine months after the February 13, 2025 blaze at Emterra Environmental’s Vernon recycling yard, no public determination has been made on the fire’s cause. Vernon Fire Rescue Services has not released an official finding. In similar incidents at Canadian recycling facilities, lithium-ion batteries tossed in blue bins are frequently pinpointed as the spark—often igniting when crushed amid cardboard and paper. No cause has been officially confirmed or released to the public in this case.

VERNON, B.C. – A fire broke out Thursday morning at the Emterra Environmental Recycling Facility on 700 Waddington Drive, sending a column of thick smoke billowing skyward.

Crews were dispatched around 9:30 a.m., with reports of a significant fire at the facility that processes recyclable materials that includes paper, collected from neighborhood pickup services.

Firefighters worked quickly to bring the situation under control. As of now, the cause remains undetermined. There are no reports of injuries.

While the exact ignition source has yet to be determined, recycling facilities face heightened fire risks due to improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries, which can spark and ignite combustible materials when crushed or damaged during transport.

The recycling facility fire was the third major incident Vernon Fire Rescue responded to within a two-hour span.

Earlier in the morning, crews attended a trailer fire on Scott Road, just north of Vernon Airport, where one person was seen being assisted to a waiting ambulance.

Around 9 a.m., emergency responders were dispatched to a fire behind the 2600 block of 25th Avenue, initially reported as a propane tank explosion linked to a tent fire.

While a fire involving a propane tank did occur, the incident was less severe than first feared.

For information on proper recycling and disposal methods, visit Emterra.ca.

Fire at Vernon's Emterra Environmental Recycling Facility