On Tuesday, response efforts entered their fourth day as the Unified Command continued to fight a fire on the containership One Henry Hudson. The fire started on Friday evening while the ship was docked at Berth 218 in the Port of Los Angeles.

All 23 crew members were safely evacuated without any injuries after the fire broke out around 6:30 p.m. local time. The fire affected multiple sub-levels below deck, making it hard to reach. Nearly 200 personnel from the Los Angeles City Fire Department, along with support from the Long Beach Fire Department, the United States Coast Guard, Los Angeles Port Police, and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, joined the response effort.

The situation worsened on Friday night when an explosion in the middle of the ship knocked out its lights and cranes. This forced firefighters to retreat and fight the fire from a distance. After hazardous materials were found in some affected areas, the Unified Command decided to move the vessel offshore.

In an extensive nighttime operation, the agencies worked together to guide the One Henry Hudson out to sea, beyond the Vincent Thomas Bridge. By Saturday morning, the ship was anchored about a mile from the shore near Angel’s Gate Lighthouse and has stayed there since while fire suppression and salvage operations continue.

“Safety is our top priority as we handle this situation,” said Capt. Stacey Crecy, incident commander of the Coast Guard. “We are monitoring air quality, maintaining safety zones, and working with all agencies to keep the incident contained and protect the public.”

According to Chief Greg McManus, Deputy Chief of Los Angeles Port Police, air quality has remained within safe levels. “The Port Police Hazmat team is monitoring air quality from four key points in the port and providing live updates to the Department Operations Center,” McManus stated. “We will keep tracking these levels as we continue working on the vessel.”

As a precaution, the Unified Command issued a shelter-in-place order for residents of San Pedro and Wilmington. However, since air quality readings remained normal, the order was lifted on Saturday once the ship was safely in deep water.

Current operations involve the vessel’s crew and a contracted salvage team checking for hot spots in the containers. They are using a fire lance to extinguish and cool any affected containers. Tugs are continuously spraying water on the ship to protect the hull, with water being the main agent for extinguishing the fire.

The salvage team is focusing on cargo hold number 03, which is believed to be about 80% full of water from earlier firefighting efforts. There are no current concerns about the stability of the vessel, and a formal salvage plan is being developed.

“We worked closely with our local partners to ensure crew safety, relocate the vessel offshore, and minimize disruptions at the Port of Los Angeles,” said Capt. Jarrod DeWitz, another incident commander from the Coast Guard. “We will keep collaborating until the vessel is stable and no longer poses a risk to the port or the surrounding community.”

The Coast Guard has set up a half-mile safety zone around the containership and is managing vessel traffic in the area, along with temporary flight restrictions. They have also arranged for search and rescue resources to be on standby and are conducting assessments of the vessel's stability and hazardous materials.

The incident briefly disrupted port operations, halting work at four of the seven container terminals and closing State Route 47 due to smoke and low visibility. However, the Port of Los Angeles has since resumed operations.

“The effective containment of this vessel fire highlights the strong collaboration between the Port of Los Angeles and our local partners,” stated Capt. Daniel Cobos, incident commander from the Port of Los Angeles Police Department. “Our coordinated effort has ensured that operations continued at one of the largest ports in the U.S.”

This fire comes at a crucial time for the Port of Los Angeles, which is projected to surpass 10 million TEUs for the third time in 2025.

Fire suppression operations are set to continue while salvage teams work together as part of the Unified Command, which includes the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Los Angeles Port Police Department, and a representative from the container ship. The Los Angeles Fire Department has moved to a supportive role and is on standby to assist as needed.