Fire Contained Aboard ONE Container Ship at Port of Los Angeles

Fire crews from Los Angeles and Long Beach responded to a fire aboard an Ocean Network Express (ONE) container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday evening. As of 1330 hours on Saturday, the fire was isolated to a single cargo hold aboard the ship, and a fire boat from the Port of Los Angeles was on scene to provide cooling water. The ship has been moved to an anchorage about one mile offshore.

The Coast Guard has set up a safety zone of about half a nautical mile in radius around the ship, and is directing nearby vessel traffic. As salvors and crewmembers continue the response, the service is helping out with stability and hazardous material assessments on board. 

"The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) personnel were the first to arrive on scene and immediately coordinated a response with local partners from other agencies," said Assistant Chief Carlos Calvillo, LAFD incident commander. "Fire burned on multiple sub-levels below deck in areas that were largely inaccessible, which required a high level of communication and coordination from everyone to ensure the safety of on scene personnel and the crew members aboard the vessel. Remarkably, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported as a result of this ship fire."

Residents in nearby communities were told to keep windows closed in order to keep out smoke. 

“The successful isolation of this vessel fire shows a strong partnership between the Port of Los Angeles and our local partners,” said Capt. Daniel Cobos, Port of Los Angeles Police Department incident commander. “Our coordinated response ensured operations continued uninterrupted at one of the largest ports in the country.” 

It is unclear how many containers might have been damaged, but the fire onboard has been substantially contained. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Adam Van Gerpen told the media that at least 40 containers were involved in the fire, and it was possible that it had spread to 100 or more after an explosion aboard the ship.

The crew aboard the ONE Henry Hudson (98,849 dwt) reported a below-deck electrical fire on the vessel at approximately 6:38 p.m. local time, according to the LA Fire Department. The vessel, which was built in 2009, had arrived from Tokyo, Japan, on November 19 and has a capacity of 8,212 TEU. The vessel is flagged in Panama.

Shortly before 8:00 p.m. local time, the fire department reported there was an explosion aboard the vessel affecting power, including lights and crane operations on the ship. Because of the dangers, firefighters were ordered to remain above deck. Fireboats were positioned alongside the vessel to provide cooling to the hull. 

The fire spread into several container bays, according to the fire department. Responders were working with full breathing and safety apparatus because of reports that there was dangerous cargo aboard the vessel and in the area of the fire. At its peak, 186 fire personnel were working the incident. Fixed-wing aircraft and drones were being used with heat-sensing equipment to show the extent of the fire.

Early reports said that 15 crewmembers had been evacuated from the vessel, with two remaining aboard and six unaccounted for by the fire department. They later reported that all 23 crewmembers were safe, and that members of the crew assisted in moving and anchoring the vessel outside the port. Some remain aboard and are still involved in the efforts to respond to the fire. 

Operations were temporarily suspended at the Yusen Container Terminal, where the vessel was docked, as well as three additional terminals in the port. Operations at the port resumed as normal on Saturday.