A common cargo ship making a trans-Pacific crossing is reporting that it’s battling cargo maintain fires with a load of lithium-ion batteries aboard. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center has instructed the vessel to proceed towards Dutch Harbor, Alaska within the ongoing scenario. Resources are being assembled to assist combat the fireplace when the vessel will get nearer to Alaska.

The information outlet Must Read Alaska is reporting {that a} fireplace was initially found aboard the vessel on December 25 in the #1 cargo maintain. They are saying the suspicion is that heavy seas might have precipitated the fireplace to ignite, however the vessel was in a position to make use of its CO2 fireplace suppression system. 

A second fireplace has now been reported aboard the ship in its quantity 2 cargo maintain however based on the information outlet, the vessel has already exhausted its CO2 system. They are reporting that the crew is perimeter cooling the cargo holds. The captain has ordered the crew to not open the holds in order that they continue to be sealed serving to to include and management the fireplace.

The Coast Guard District Command Center in Juneau obtained the report of the fireplace at 4:40 a.m. native time on December 28 whereas the cargo ship was roughly 225 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The vessel, the Genius Star XI, is a small useful dimension bulker owned by Taiwan’s Wisdom Marine Lines. She departed Hai Pong, Vietnam on December 10 after stops in Thailand and Singapore and is certain for San Diego, California. Built in 2012, the ship is 410 ft (125 meters) in size and 13,663 dwt. Reports are that there’s a crew of 19 aboard. 

The vessel is loaded with greater than 800 metric tons of lithium-ion batteries. The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched an HC-130 airplane from Air Station Kodiak and the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley to rendezvous with the cargo ship to find out the scenario and supply help because it sails towards Dutch Harbor. It is predicted to succeed in Dutch Harbor earlier than midnight on December 29, however based on the studies had been instructed to stay exterior the port till the scenario is best understood and a plan is developed.

Thermal photos of the vessel launched by the USCG don’t present warmth within the cargo holds (USCG Alaska)

“We applaud the crewmembers aboard Genius Star XI, whose swift actions kept the fire contained to this point,” stated Captain Chris Culpepper, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Anchorage. “This will be an ongoing team effort as we work to safely extinguish the fire, provide any necessary medical care for the crew, and mitigate the dangers associated with a shipboard fire.”

The Coast Guard is investigating to see if the fireplace has been contained or presumably extinguished. Teams from T&T Salvage and Resolve Marine have been boarding the vessel to find out the standing. The USCG nonetheless till the scenario turns into extra outlined has ordered the Genius Star XI to stay two miles offshore and a one-mile security zone has been established across the ship.

The report is itemizing the reason for the fireplace as unknown, with the Coast Guard saying will probably be investigating as soon as the preliminary response efforts have been accomplished.