Major Cargo Fire Breaks Out on Bulker in Amsterdam
On Thursday, a large fire broke out in the hold of a bulker in Amsterdam's western port district, sending noxious smoke over a large area of the city and prompting an air-quality alert. Firefighting efforts continued into Friday morning.
At about 1700 hours Thursday, a blaze was reported aboard the bulker Trade, which was moored alongside at the AST Amsterdam Scrap Terminal in the Vlothavenweg area of the harbor. The city's fire department quickly upgraded it to a major fire incident and dispatched multiple fire engines and response vessels. A specialized marine firefighting unit from Rotterdam was also called up to advise on-scene.
At 0600 hours the next morning, the fire was still burning and growing in scope. It had begun in the number three hold, but overnight it had spread to the number four hold as well. First responders began emptying out the contents of the actively-burning number four hold onto the pier, then extinguishing the cargo on land.
The same strategy was not possible on the number three hold, fire agency Brandweer reported. The heat of the fire was so intense that the hatches were affected and could not be opened.
Gisteren een enorme scheepsbrand vlakbij de locatie waar we ratten observeren in Amsterdam. Robert had ademhalingsproblemen toen hij bij de dieren ging kijken. Nadat de brand al urenlang gestopt was is hij naar het schip gelopen. Wat in hemelsnaam is daar in rook opgegaan? @AT5 pic.twitter.com/HqlpdHZVhX
— Team Huismuizen (@huismuizen) May 16, 2025
The response command decided to escalate the situation to "regional incident" status, drawing on assets from other nearby areas. "The outlook is that the firefighting efforts will take a long time," said Brandweer in an update.
The plume of smoke from the fire extended a long distance across the city, and the local authorities put out an alert advising residents to close windows and turn off ventilation systems to reduce exposure. Residents reported a noxious smell along with the visible smoke.
In some areas where smoke was observed, residents reported a thin residue of soot on the ground. Local authorities advised that it is easily cleaned off of hard surfaces, but any edible plants or vegetable gardens contaminated with the substance should not be eaten.
Fire risk is a recurring issue with metal scrap cargoes, often because of the presence of discarded lithium-ion batteries. When damaged, Li-ion batteries can burn or explode, sparking a larger fire in combustible contaminants in the cargo.