Last week, the people of Montreal were sent back into lockdown. 

Nope, it’s not an outbreak of Coronavirus again (thank god!) but a container fire that spread toxic gases into the air surrounding the port. Residents in the surrounding areas were advised to stay indoors and close their doors, windows and ventilation systems for their health and safety.

Why the big fuss? Well the fire wasn’t just any old fire. It was a lithium battery fire. This type of fire is incredibly hard to contain, as it is hard to extinguish and quickly spreads. It can also cause chemical burns, respiratory distress and other health problems if people come in contact with it. Nasty stuff. A specialist team was brought in to bring the flames under control and residents in the immediate area were evacuated. 

Now, container fires are not as rare as you might think with an average of one fire every 9 days in 2023 (and lithium batteries being a leading cause)! This got me thinking… I know I’ve spoken before about the importance of correct documentation for your cargo. Errors or mistakes in your paperwork could slow down your customs clearance, get your goods denied entry or even end up with them getting destroyed. But where hazardous cargo is involved, it can also lead to fires – and putting other people’s lives at risk! 

Now, this fire in Montreal was pretty big deal – but because the freight was labelled correctly, the emergency services knew exactly what they were dealing with. They were able to respond quickly, pull in the right specialists teams and equipment to allow them to address the fire and keep everyone safe. If the cargo had been mislabeled though, this could have been a whole different story. The thing is, freight paperwork isn’t easy (and it’s definitely not fun!) – but it is important that you get it right. 

A little while ago we wrote a knowledge base blog on exactly this… it’s called “The Importance of Accurate Freight Descriptions” – have a quick read if you missed it. It could help save you a world of problems in the future. And remember… there’s always risks when it comes to moving your goods around the world – whether it’s lithium battery fires, hurricanes or pirates! So make sure you insure your goods…you never know what might happen. 

Got any freight paperwork nightmare stories to share? I’d love to hear them…