Firefighters responded to an emergency at the Port of Wilmington on Wednesday morning after a fire broke out in the engine room of the M/V Chiquita Voyager, a Liberia-flagged containership. The call for help came at 9:28 a.m., with responders arriving to find smoke pouring from the vessel’s superstructure. They quickly coordinated a multi-agency effort to address the situation.
Firefighters engaged in firefighting operations and evacuated the crew, while the onboard suppression system effectively contained the flames to the engine room. After approximately three hours of work, the fire was brought under control, though firefighting units remained on-site throughout the day to monitor for any potential flare-ups. Four crew members sustained injuries and were taken to Christiana Hospital for treatment, with details regarding their injuries not immediately available.
Approximately 70 fire and EMS personnel from various agencies, including the Wilmington Fire Department and New Castle County EMS, participated in the response. The Wilmington Fire Department and other agencies plan to stay at the port to investigate the fire’s cause and ensure the ship’s safety.
Port Wilmington is a critical deepwater port, serving as a key distribution hub for Chiquita Brands, which expanded its operations there in a recent long-term agreement. The port is known for handling a significant volume of perishable imports, including tropical fruits, and operates one of North America’s largest cold storage facilities.
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