Grimaldi’s Conro Grande Brasile (26,000 dwt) was towed to port on Sunday, February 23, following a fire in the English Channel. The fire was contained to a small section of the RoRo sector, and the crew safely evacuated. Salvage tugs from Dutch company Multraship brought the ship to Antwerp, where it was secured at the Euroterminal. Boskalis’ Smit unit oversaw the salvage operation, with images showing scorching on the vessel’s superstructure near the funnel.
Grimaldi reported one fire on February 17, which the crew tried to extinguish with the CO2 system. Lifeboats from the UK’s RNLI rescued the crew after a second fire was discovered, transferring them to shore. The cause of the fire is under investigation, with the vessel typically transporting used cars and containers to West Africa. Salvage crews will inspect the vessel to ensure the fire is extinguished and determine its origin.
On February 24, reports surfaced of another fire on the Grande Congo (47,600 dwt) en route to Norfolk, Virginia. This follows previous fires on Grimaldi vessels, prompting changes in handling hazardous cargo. The company faced a fatal fire in 2023 in New Jersey, leading to increased scrutiny. Grimaldi has pledged full cooperation with authorities in the investigation of the Grande Brasile fire.
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