Scrap Metal Barge Burns in Delaware Bay

On Tuesday, a scrap metal fire broke out aboard a barge on the Delaware Bay, prompting a multi-agency response from local fire departments.

At about 0800 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports of a fire aboard the barge American Tracker at a position in the middle of the estuary. The crewmembers of the tug towing the barge were unharmed, and vessel traffic was not affected.

At least three nearby cities dispatched marine firefighting assets to the scene, and fireboats applied water to the burning pile. A tall plume of smoke wafted behind the barge as efforts to contain the fire continued.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the barge was under tow at a position about two miles off Maurice River Cove, New Jersey. In order to get the situation under control, responders want to position it further away from the shipping channel in shallow water, where it can be temporarily anchored. Firefighting was still ongoing.

The Coast Guard has issued a warning to shipping to stay clear of the hazard as the response continues. Local public health authorities are monitoring air quality conditions, and have not seen cause for concern so far. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

Scrap metal fires are commonly ignited by unwanted contaminants - notably lithium-ion batteries, which can burst into flame when damaged. The fires grow and accelerate in the presence of flammable debris within the pile, such as oily wastes and plastics.