New Photos Suggest Extensive Fire Damage Aboard Burning Car Carrier

 

The first salvors have arrived on scene to assess the damaged car carrier Morning Midas, which caught fire off Adak last week and has burned continuously for more than six days. 

Last month, Morning Midas got under way on a voyage from China to Mexico with about 3,000 vehicles aboard, including 70 electric cars and about 680 hybrids. On June 3, as she transited south of Adak, Alaska, smoke was discovered on a car deck containing EVs. Despite deployment of fixed firefighting systems, the fire grew in intensity, and the master made the decision to abandon ship into a liferaft. Luckily, weather conditions were moderate for the North Pacific, and a nearby container ship diverted to rescue the crew. 

Zodiac appointed Resolve Marine as salvor, and a response team got under way aboard the tug Gretchen Dunlap, departing Dutch Harbor on June 6. The tug transited on the north side of the Aleutian Chain, then passed between Adak and Kanaga Island to head south into the Pacific. 

Gretchen Dunlap arrived on scene on Monday, according to the Coast Guard. AIS data provided by Pole Star suggests the tug neared Morning Midas' position at about 1200 local time. Salvors aboard the tug have begun making a full assessment of the car carrier's condition.

New aerial photos provided by the Coast Guard show that the fire swept through multiple car decks, and the worst signs of heat damage were apparent towards the bow of the ship. Wide swaths of gray, ashen hull paint showed areas where the fire's intensity burned hottest. On the port bow, heat damage was visible from the waterline up to the top deck level (top). 

Morning Midas' port side amidships, 1100 hours on June 8 (USCG)

Morning Midas' port side on June 3, shortly after the fire started (USCG)

As of midday Monday, winds had picked up to 45-50 knots and seas were still moderate. Morning Midas continued to drift northeast at a rate of about one knot, according to the Coast Guard. 

"The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority," said Rear Adm. Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District. "We are working closely with Zodiac Maritime to ensure a safe and effective plan to address the fire and mitigate any potential impacts to the environment.”