USCG Alaska responds to burning car carrier Morning Midas

Photo: USCG

UPDATED: In the wake of the Felicity Ace incident, car carrier fires involving EVs continue to be a concern and in a post on X, USCG Alaska yesterday reported that it was responding to a fire onboard the 600 car carrier Morning Midas, 300 miles southwest of Adak.

The Morning Midas is operated by London-headquartered Zodiac Maritime which said that the incident occurred at around 00:00 UTC on June 3, 2025 in the Pacific Ocean, during the vessel’s passage to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, and that the vessel is loaded with around 3000 vehicles, 800 of which are electric vehicles. Smoke was initially seen emanating from a deck carrying electric vehicles.

According to media reports the voyage originated from Yantai, China, on May 26.

Following is the full text of the Zodiac Maritime statement:

Zodiac Maritime has launched an emergency response following reports of smoke emanating from its managed vehicle carrier, Morning Midas (IMO: 9289910).

The incident occurred at around 00:00 UTC on 3 June 2025 in the Pacific Ocean, during the vessel’s passage to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico.

All crew are safe and accounted for, with no reports of injuries.

The vessel is loaded with around 3000 vehicles, 800 of which are electric vehicles. Smoke was initially
seen emanating from a deck carrying electric vehicles.

The crew immediately initiated emergency firefighting procedures using the vessel’s onboard fire suppression systems. However, despite their efforts, the situation could not be brought under control.

In consultation with the United States Coast Guard all 22 crew were safely evacuated via lifeboat and have been transferred to a nearby merchant vessel.

The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations.

Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.
We would like to thank all parties involved for their assistance.

Morning Midas (IMO:9289910) is a Liberian-flagged Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC), built in 2006. She is managed by London headquartered Zodiac Maritime.