After more than three days of trying to put out the fire the broke out on a bulker at Port Kembla, firefighters managed to extinguish it. Crews used high expansion foam into the cargo hold, a strategy that proved successful.
As Fire and Rescue New South Wales informed, there are no signs of smoke from the ship and field temperature levels are dropping. This shows that the fire may have been extinguished. Firefighters are now checking for fire extension and a salvage and overhaul plan is being created.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
However, in order to ensure that the fire is completely put out, crews continue working until yesterday. Firefighters have substantially knocked down the blaze and are monitoring temperatures within the cargo hold, as aA multi-agency response continues.
The fire was reported onboard the bulk carrier “Iron Chieftain’s,” for which over 100 firefighters were deployed.
The fire was reportedly started on a conveyor belt, and then it spread into the ship’s hold. The vessel is structurally sound, despite the fire, while the ship’s crew has been evacuated safely.