Salvage Plan Being Developed for ONE Containership After Multi-Day Fire
A formal salvage plan is being developed for the containership ONE Henry Hudson (98,849 dwt) after the weekend fire aboard the vessel briefly interrupted operations in the Port of Los Angeles. The Unified Command supervising the efforts reported late on Monday, November 24, that fire suppression was continuing while it appears the fire has largely been resolved aboard the 9,100-TEU containership.
The report indicated that the vessel’s crew and an unspecified contracted salvage team were monitoring for hot spots in containers. A fire lance was being used to extinguish and cool and affected containers. No count was reported on the number of containers impacted, but there were indications that the vessel had only partially discharged its cargo when the fire began on Friday evening, November 21. Unconfirmed statements from the fire command on site said at least 40 containers were damaged, and possibly 100 or more had been impacted.
The USCG reported on Tuesday that the fire has been contained, as reported by the salvage master aboard vessel. Current, it said as of midday the firefighting efforts shifted to standby status and re-flash watch.
“Presently, the investigation and assessment of the vessel and cargo condition are still ongoing. We are working closely with the relevant authorities, vessel owners, and terminal operators to determine the appropriate next steps,” Ocean Network Express (ONE) wrote in a customer advisory.
Images released by the U.S. Coast Guard show one cargo hold flooded nearly to its top during the firefighting operations. Assistant Chief Carlos Calvillo, the Los Angeles Fire Department incident commander, reported that the fire had burned on multiple levels below deck, saying they were largely inaccessible.
Cargo hold No 3 is estimated to be 80 percent full of water (USCG)
Early reports said there were concerns because the manifest indicated there were hazardous cargoes in the area of the fire. The crew reportedly told the fire department they believed it was an electrical fire on the vessel, which was built in 2008. The unknown dangers and the large amount of smoke on Friday night prompted what is being called a precautionary shelter-in-place order for the surrounding communities of San Pedro and Wilmington, which remained in effect till 0630 Saturday morning.
The Unified Command said on Monday that boundary cooling was continuing, and that water was the extinguishing agent. They said stability was not currently a concern, but there was a focus on preserving the integrity of the hull.
Early Saturday morning the decision was made to move the vessel from the port to offshore (USCG)
Crews had made the decision early on Saturday to undock the vessel, which was at Berth 218 in the Port of Los Angeles. At approximately 0300, the ship was escorted out of the port and to sea beyond the Vincent Thomas Bridge. At 0443, it was anchored approximately one mile from shore. The firefighters lost the ability to use shore equipment, but it safeguarded the port and permitted the resumption of full operations.
"We are closely monitoring air quality, maintaining safety zones, and coordinating with all agencies to ensure this incident remains isolated and the public remains protected,” said Captain Stacey Crecy, Coast Guard incident commander, in the update late on Monday.
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach supplied a fire boat to continue the firefight. By 1330 on Saturday afternoon, the Unified Command said the fire had been isolated to a single cargo hold.