Cargo Fire on Bulker Controlled at Arinaga Port in the Canary Islands

After two days of firefighting, a cargo fire on the bulker Langeland at the port of Arinaga in the Canary Islands has been brought under control. The fire started in the holds of the ship while it was loading a cargo of scrap metal. Despite efforts by the crew to close the hatches and use the vessel’s firefighting system, the fire could not be contained. Most of the crew evacuated the ship, and local fire crews arrived to assist in battling the blaze.

The firefighting efforts were temporarily paused to prevent jeopardizing the ship’s stability. The fire died down overnight but reignited the next morning, sending thick black smoke away from the port. Firefighters resumed their work using a combination of water and foam, with support from a tugboat’s fire monitors. The situation, although dramatic, was not considered a serious risk to the public, according to Las Palmas Maritime Authority chief Ignacio Gallego Carro.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blaze, with authorities suspecting that the cargo self-ignited during loading, a common occurrence with bulk scrap metal. The commodity is often contaminated with flammable materials, including damaged lithium-ion batteries. This incident follows a major fire at a nearby scrap metal storage yard in the same industrial complex at Arinaga last month. The Langeland is a 5,000 dwt freighter flagged in Portugal and owned in Germany, having entered service just six months ago in late May.

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