The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Tuesday that firefighting operations have stopped on the containership One Henry Hudson. Crews managed to control a fire that started while the ship was docked at the Port of Los Angeles last Friday.
“The fire is now contained, and we will wait to make sure there are no flare-ups or heat sources,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Stacey Crecy, who is in charge of the incident. “Since we can't open the containers to check if the fire is totally out, there is still some risk. But we have put measures in place to handle any potential problems.”
The fire started on Friday evening in hard-to-reach areas of the lower deck while the ship was in port. All 23 crew members were safely evacuated, and there were no injuries.
Nearly 200 firefighters from Los Angeles City joined forces with Long Beach Fire, the Coast Guard, Port Police, and Cal OES to respond to the incident. A mid-ship explosion on Friday night caused a power loss, which forced crews to fall back and manage the fire from the pier.
After assessing hazmat risks, Unified Command decided to move the vessel off the dock during a major overnight operation. By early Saturday, the ship was anchored about a mile away from Angel's Gate Lighthouse, where cooling and firefighting efforts continued.
The salvage company DONJON-SMIT has temporarily taken control of the vessel and is conducting salvage operations. They, along with local partners, are working on a plan to safely move the ship back to an approved facility at the Port of Los Angeles.
“Now that we are no longer actively fighting the fire, we can look ahead to the next steps in safely returning the ship to the pier and removing the cargo in a controlled manner,” Crecy mentioned.
No firefighting water has been released into the surrounding water. All used water is being collected in the cargo hold and will be removed under Coast Guard supervision, then transported via barge or truck to a waste reception facility.
“Everyone from the salvage team to Unified Command and all supporting agencies is working together to ensure the safety of the community, the port, and our response crews,” stated Los Angeles Port Police Captain Dan Cobos, Incident Commander.
Air quality is being monitored around the port 24/7, and readings are staying within federal and state safety limits. A temporary shelter-in-place advisory for the areas of San Pedro and Wilmington was issued but has since been lifted. Real-time updates on air quality can be found on the Port's monitoring website.
The Coast Guard and the Port of Los Angeles Police Department are maintaining a safety zone around the vessel, with a temporary flight restriction still in effect. A half-mile safety zone surrounds the anchored ship.
Salvage teams are currently focused on cargo hold 03, which is now estimated to be 80% flooded from initial firefighting efforts, but there are no current concerns about the stability of the vessel.
The incident led to temporary shutdowns at four out of seven container terminals and caused closures on State Route 47 due to smoke, although port operations have since resumed. The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the fire.
The Unified Command includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Los Angeles Police Department, and a representative from the containership's owner. The Los Angeles Fire Department continues to provide support and is ready to assist when needed.