Cargo vessel Genius Star XI experienced a fire in cargo hold No. 1, off the Alaska port of Dutch Harbor on Christmas Day.
The US Coast Guard intervened, issuing orders to keep the ship at a safe distance of 2 miles from the shore and establishing a one-mile safety zone around the vessel. Reportedly, there were burning lithium-ion batteries onboard. Luckily, the Coast Guard confirmed there are no injuries to the 19 crewmembers.
Why lithium battery fires are different
Self-sustaining: The characteristics of a lithium battery fire are quite unique from a chemical standpoint. Unlike traditional fires, the cathode material in the battery generates its own oxygen source, enabling the fire to persist for a long time, even in environments with limited external oxygen supply.
High temperature: Depending on circumstances, the temperature in a lithium battery fire can be considerably higher compared to other types of fires. This may present a variety of challenges in terms of access to the fire, escape routes, firefighting, and possibly more rapid spread of the fire on a vessel. Higher temperatures can also have an impact on the different materials onboard: for instance, aluminium will melt if exposed to temperatures of 700 degrees Celsius or higher.
Vapour clouds: Lithium battery fires emit toxic fumes, including lithium oxide, lithium hydroxide, and other hazardous chemicals. This poses a significant challenge for crew and fire-fighters. Additionally, lithium battery fires can release flammable gases like hydrogen. In confined areas like car decks, these gases can become trapped, creating an explosive environment that further endangers firefighting efforts and limits access to the scene and escape routes.
Firefighting methods: From the container segment, Gard said that they have observed that extinguishing burning batteries in containers requires a significant amount of time and a large volume of water. Generally, it appears to be consensus that water is the best medium for extinguishing a battery fire but getting directly to the battery and the sheer amount of water needed is a challenge on-board as ship stability may be compromised. Furthermore, salt water has been reported to cause short circuits in EVs affected by flood water. Some ships have CO2, some are looking at increasing CO2 supply on-board, and some may have foam systems instead of water for firefighting. These mediums have their advantages and may be effective for suppressing fires but may have limitations when it comes to extinguishing an EV fire that is self-sustaining for a long period. Foam and CO2 also comes in a limited quantity, so once used up there is no more extinguishing agent left on the ship.
As of the latest update, the Unified Command confirmed that the M/V Genius Star XI remains safely anchored in Broad Bay, Alaska, complying with the latest Captain of the Port Order.
The situation is stable right now and maintaining the M/V Genius Star XI at anchor allows for a safer environment for our team to operate and reduces risk of hazardous cargo movement. M/V Genius Star XI remains operational and can get underway at a moments’ notice.
… said Captain Chris Culpepper, Captain of the Port
The Coast Guard will conduct a comprehensive investigation, while Wisdom Marine Group has enlisted an industry professional to coordinate contingency plans and firefighting efforts.
