On Wednesday morning, firefighters responded to a fire that broke out in the engine room of a docked ship at the Port of Wilmington.
The emergency was reported at 9:28 a.m. for the M/V Chiquita Voyager, a container ship registered in Liberia. When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke coming from the ship's superstructure, leading to a quick response from multiple agencies.
Firefighters boarded the vessel to extinguish the fire and evacuate the crew. The fire was mostly contained to the engine room, thanks to the ship's onboard suppression system, which helped keep the flames from spreading.
It took about three hours for the crews to gain control over the situation. However, fire units stayed on site throughout the day to watch for any potential flare-ups.
Four crew members were injured during the incident and were taken to Christiana Hospital for treatment. Their injuries’ severity has not been disclosed yet.
Around 70 fire and EMS personnel from various agencies responded, including units from the Wilmington Fire Department, New Castle County EMS, New Castle County Emergency Management, and support from several other fire departments in New Castle County.
The Wilmington Fire Department and other agencies will continue to investigate the cause of the fire and keep an eye on conditions aboard the ship.
The Port of Wilmington is a deep-water port and marine terminal located on the Delaware River. It features extensive warehousing facilities and direct access to major highways and rail services.
In June, Enstructure, a top terminal and logistics company in the U.S., announced a new long-term deal with Chiquita Brands to strengthen their partnership at Port Wilmington, Delaware, which serves as Chiquita’s distribution hub for the mid-Atlantic region. This agreement builds on a partnership that began in 1988, when Chiquita first consolidated its supply chain operations at the port.
Since then, Port Wilmington has become Chiquita's largest port operation in North America, managing a fully containerized service between Central America and Wilmington. This operation regularly imports bananas, pineapples, and other tropical fruits and vegetables, serving over 200 million consumers in the U.S. and Canada. Chiquita docks a vessel at Port Wilmington every week.
Port Wilmington is a key entry point for imported perishable goods and has one of the largest on-dock cold storage facilities in North America. The port is operated by Enstructure under a long-term agreement as part of a public-private partnership with Diamond State Port Corporation (DSPC), which is a State of Delaware entity.