It's now used by Vancouver, Delta, B.C., Richmond, White Rock, the University Endowment Lands and portions of South Surrey—or about 40 per cent of the population of the region.
A state of emergency was declared in Delta to help the firefighters battle the underground blaze at the landfill.
The site is a dump for demolition materials, such as wood and asphalt shakes, resulting in an environmentally hazardous smoke.
Water poured on the Delta Shake and Shingle Site by firefighters has mixed with naturally decaying wood to produce potentially toxic run-off.
[2] At the peak of the fire it covered an area more than a hectare and burned 20 meters deep.