A widespread power outage in Chilliwack and Abbotsford is due to a "transmission circuit failure" and a "substation fault" according to BC Hydro. More than 30,000 homes are affected.
The outage may be related to a fire burning at the Atchelitz substation near South Sumas and Lickman Road. Black smoke has filled the sky throughout Chilliwack and Sardis, and can be seen as far away as Agassiz.
Firefighters are being called in from as far away as Richmond to help with the blaze, and the source of the fire is reported to be 40,000 litres of engine oil.
There are power outages at several Chilliwack-area schools, however there are no reports of children being sent home yet.
Watch for developments of this story on this website.
There was a large fire at a Yarrow mill yesterday, as well. The fire melted fibre optic cables relied on by many service providers, which caused trouble with telecommunication throughout the Chilliwack and Abbotsford area as well. That issue was expected to be resolved today.
To see a map of the outage area, visit BC Hydro.