VIDEO: Efforts to fight Newark car carrier fire continue

ABC7 showed an NYCD fireboat continuing to pour water on to the top deck of the car carrier hours after the fire was reported as under control [Screen grab from ABC7 video]

Two firefighters lost their lives last night battling a car carrier fire that broke out aboard the Grimaldi Deep Sea RO/RO vessel Grande Costa d’Avorio in Port Newark. As of midday today, response efforts were continuing with local TV helicopter cameras showing a New York Fire Department fire boat pouring water on the top deck of the vessel as firefighting efforts on lower decks continued.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraca identified the two firefighters as Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, and Augusto “Augie” Acabou, 45. Five other firefighters were injured combating the blaze, including those from other municipalities, officials said.ess.

Coast Guard watch standers at Sector New York received an initial call of a fire on the multi-level vessel at 9:38 PM yesterday. A Coast Guard response boat out of Station New York, along with prevention and response teams, joined multiple area agencies as part of a unified response to the ongoing incident.

“Coast Guard is actively involved with the joint response and focused on the safety of responders, as well as assessing overall impact on the maritime transportation system and the environment,” said Capt. Zeita Merchant, the commander of Coast Guard Sector New York and captain of the port of New York and New Jersey. “Our thoughts are with Newark Fire Department, our partner agencies and the families of the firefighters lost during this response. These responders are working in inherently dangerous hazardous conditions when incidents of this nature occur, and their loss is truly tragic.”

Grimaldi Deep Sea says that the Italian-flag vessel was completing the loading operations of various rolling units (cars, vans, trucks) when the fire started on deck 10 which was attended by local stevedores and crew members.

The crew of the vessel immediately activated the on-board fire suppression procedures while the local firefighting service was alerted and, Grimaldi says, their prompt response played a crucial role in containing and bringing the fire under control.

“Sadly, during the firefighting operations,” said a company statement, “Grimaldi Deep Sea was informed that two firefighters lost their lives. All the company’s thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with their families and team currently. At this time, it is not known how the fire started but the company will undertake a full investigation in close cooperation with all relevant authorities.”

According to Grimaldi, Grande Costa d’Avorio operates with 28 crew members. No fuel spill has been detected nor does the stability of the ship appear to be compromised.

NO ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON BOARD

Though incidents such as the Felicity Ace fire have drawn attention to the danger of L-ion battery fires on car carriers, Grimaldi says there were no EVs on board.

“She is carrying over 1.200 rolling units (between new and secondhand cars, vans and rolling equipment) as well as 157 containers,” said the company. “There are no electric cars nor hazardous cargo on board.
Grimaldi Deep Sea wishes to thank and acknowledge the fast and professional response of the firefighting teams to this incident.”

This is not the first car carrier fire in a U.S. port. Back in 2020, the fire aboard the Höegh Xiamen at the Blount Island Horizon Terminal, Jacksonville, Fla., saw ten firefighters injured, though there were no fatalities. That fire took over a week to extinguish. While there were no EVs on that ship either, the NTSB determined the probable cause to be an electrical fault from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle.