A pile of scrap cars appears to be the source of the fire which is spewing acrid smoke across the region

A large pile of scrap cars appears to be the source of a raging barge fire burning on the Surrey side of the Fraser River, near the eastern foot of the Patullo Bridge.

Witnesses say they have heard a number of small explosions.

A thick, acrid smoke is blanketing the area.

Burnaby resident Teresa Heitzmaan said she rushed over after finding out about the fire, worried for her mother who lives three blocks away in the Bridgeview neighbourhood of Surrey.

"She has a sleep apnea machine ... and we phoned her 10 times to inform her to shut the windows," she said. "It's not a good smell. It's like a chemical smell and we could see from the [Patullo] bridge that a barge with cars was burning."

One onlooker told CBC News that at the height of the fire the flames were shooting over 20 metres into the air.

Fire crews are on scene.