On the evening of Sep 4, 2025, the 96 meter long cargo vessel Meike (IMO: 9105841) caught fire at the Kishon West port of Haifa, Israel. The fire started in the Meike‘s hold loaded with scrap metal. Fire fighters were called out to help extinguish the blaze. The burning scrap metal was being offloaded to the nearby quay where fire fighters will extinguished.
Authorities report there have been no casualties. The extent of damage to the vessel was not released, but reports state there was no danger to Meike. No pollution was released.
On the afternoon of September 3, the 74 meter long, 1400 dwt fishing vessel Verdel (IMO: 8512657) caught fire in the South Atlantic Ocean at Mar del Plata, Argentina. Nearby witnesses spotted smoke billowing from the Verdel and attempted to spray water into the vessel. The local fire brigade was alerted and arrived on scene a short time later.
The fire fighters boarded the Verdel and found the source of the fire. The fire was coming from the starboard bow and had spread through multiple compartments and passageway to the main deck. It would take several hours of intense work before the fire fighters extinguished the blaze.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the possible cause of the fire. No reports of injuries.
On the afternoon of September 1, the 49 meter long fishing vessel Awadi (IMO: 7922283) caught fire on the Ria de Arousa while berthed in Ribeira, Spain. The fire was ignited by a spark from welders doing some maintenance work on the vessel. As the fire quickly spread through the Awadi, the 2 crew on board were able to safely evacuate to shore. By the time the local fire brigade arrived on site, the vessel was enveloped in a large cloud of smoke. Fire fighters from shore assisted by patrol vessels sprayed water on the fishing vessel, but reaching the flames below deck was difficult.
Fire fighting continued through the next day. Due to the amount of water used, the Awadi developed a strong list to starboard. Additional dewatering pumps were deployed to avoid the fishing vessel from rolling over and sinking. Reports state the fire fighting efforts allowed them to gain access to the interior of the vessel on September 2. Authorities reported the vessel was severely gutted by the flames and it would take additional days before the entire fire would be extinguished. Containment booms were placed around the vessel to contain any pollution released from the incident. The extent of damage has not been released. There were no injuries reported.
