On the evening of August 20, the USS New Orleans caught fire in the South China Sea off Okinawa, Japan. The USS New Orleans was at anchor when a fire broke out on the the vessel. The amphibious transport dock ship requested assistance with the Japanese Coast Guard responding. United States Navy reports that it took 12 hours by the combine efforts before the fire was eventually extinguished. Two sailors on the USS New Orleans sustained minor injuries. The Navy has launched an investigation into the incident. The cause of and extent of damage by the fire was not disclosed. No pollution was released.
On the evening of August 18, the 188 meter long, 7823 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Ciudad de Sóller (IMO: 9137997) caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea while docked at Valencia, Spain. The fire was started by an auxiliary engine located in the engine room. The local fire brigade was called out and was able to quickly extinguish the blaze. There were no reports of injuries. Reports stated there were no crew present in the engine room and there were no passengers on board the vessel at the time of the incident. Authorities have stated that the Ciudad de Sóller had sustained damage from the fire, but it was limited to the area around the auxiliary engine. The Ciudad de Sóller was taken out of service for inspections, but is expected to return to service.
On August 18, the 229 meter long, 81681 dwt bulk carrier W Sapphire (IMO: 9605645) suffered an explosion on the Patapsco River off Baltimore harbor, Maryland. The W Sapphire had completed loading a cargo of coal and had just left the CSX Coal Dock when there was an explosion in the forward cargo hold. After the explosion, there was a large plume of smoke resulting from a fire. The bulk carrier sustained hull damage, but remained afloat. The Baltimore fire department dispatched firefighters and fireboats to the scene. Reports state the fire was under control by closing the vessel’s hatches, but the fireboats remained on scene. Tugboats assisted the bulk carrier to a nearby anchorage where the vessel could be inspected.
Reports state all 23 crew on board the W Sapphire were uninjured. The United States Coast Guard has detained the vessel. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident. There was some speculation that explosion was caused by coal dust, but there has been no confirmation from authorities. Some news accounts suggest the explosion was in the vessel’s engine room, but video captured of the incident makes that most unlikely.
