Blaze on Italian Cargo Ship in Port Newark Finally Extinguished, Salvage Effort Begins
Officials have announced that the fire which tragically claimed the lives of two firefighters aboard an Italian cargo ship in Port Newark, N.J., last week has finally been extinguished. The blaze erupted on the 10th deck of the Grande Costa d’Avorio and had been burning for more than five days before it was fully subdued.
Captain Zeita Merchant, commander of the Coast Guard’s New York sector, stated, “We can officially declare the fire is out.” She further explained that the operation has now transitioned into a salvage effort that is expected to take around one to two months to complete.
During a news conference held at the ship, Captain Merchant stated that while private contractors are working on a salvage plan, investigations into the cause of the fire and the reasons why it was so difficult to extinguish will continue. “We don’t know right now where the vessel is going,” she said, adding that it will likely have to be towed away from its current berth in the port.
Firefighters and other responders have been actively combating the fire since Wednesday night, with continuous efforts to pump water from Newark Bay onto the ship and its load of 1,200 vehicles. Initial suspicions arose that some of the cars onboard were electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries, given the fire’s persistence. However, Beth Rooney, the port director, confirmed that the ship’s manifest indicated there were no electric vehicles present. She explained that the ship had transported new electric vehicles to Baltimore prior to arriving in Newark, where it loaded “previously owned vehicles” destined for West Africa. After leaving Newark, the ship was scheduled to proceed to Providence, R.I., to acquire more used cars.
Ms. Rooney assured the public that there have been “no known water quality issues” or significant environmental effects resulting from the fire or the firefighting efforts. Additionally, there were no noticeable odors at the dock on Tuesday morning.
Port Newark, one of the busiest ports in the nation, has already resumed normal operations as of Monday. Concerns had been raised that the fire suppression efforts could cause the ship to capsize, but it remained afloat.
The fire initially erupted on the ship’s 10th deck just before 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, rapidly spreading to two upper decks. Tragically, two Newark firefighters, Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, lost their lives while bravely attempting to extinguish the blaze. Funeral services for the fallen heroes will be held this week at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.