On the morning of January 12, the United States Coast Guard reported a barge caught fire on the Mobile River near the Africatown Bridge, Mobile, Alabama. The barge was moored when a fire started in the cargo hold containing vehicle scrap metal. The fire quickly spread engulfing a large portion of the scrap metal. Reports state that river traffic was halted in the area near the barge while the Mobile fire department deployed fireboats to extinguish the blaze. The crew on board the barge were evacuated with no reports of injuries.

The United States Coast Guard was also on site and monitoring the situation. The cause of the fire is under investigation.