Grimaldi Convoy Fire Expected to Burn for Days

The fire on the Grimaldi convoy Grande Costa D’Avorio, which began while the ship was loading vehicles in Port Newark, New Jersey, is expected to continue burning for several days. The fire, which initially affected only a few cars, quickly spread to other areas of the ship. Efforts to control the fire have been challenging due to the intense heat. The fire is currently contained, but the area is too hot to access, so cooling the perimeter is the primary focus for now.

Updates from the US Coast Guard, now in command of a unified operation, indicate that the fire has spread significantly since it was first reported. It is now affecting multiple decks, including decks 7 to 9 and decks 10 to 12. The superstructure has sustained significant damage, with flames occasionally flaring up on the weather deck and smoke escaping from the ship. Firefighters have been working from outside the ship, using water from fire boats to cool the structure.

Tragically, two firefighters were trapped and killed in the ship during the initial response by local fire brigades. Six other firefighters have been injured while attempting to control the fire. The local firefighters did not have the appropriate equipment or training to handle shipboard fires. They were eventually replaced by a team from Donjon Marine, specially trained for ship fires. However, the situation remains challenging, as the amount of water used to fight the fire has caused the ship to list.

The priority now is to prevent the ship from further listing and potentially losing stability. The port is closely monitoring air quality in the area, as weather conditions and recent high temperatures have already led to an increase in ground-level ozone levels. The presence of smoke from Canadian wildfires has further worsened air quality. The fire is being fueled by the vehicles on board, particularly gasoline-based cars. Fortunately, there are no electric vehicles or dangerous cargo on the ship, and the containers at the front of the ship have thus far remained unaffected.

Preliminary investigations have begun, but the main focus remains on containing the fire in the upper decks. Oil leaks are not believed to be an issue, and the port has not experienced significant shimmer from firefighting efforts. Despite the challenges faced in controlling the fire, the port has reported that 99.5% of its container operations remain unaffected.

Source .