According to local reports, a fire broke out in the engine room of cargo vessel Cape Knox, in May 31, while it was berthed at the Poland Avenue Wharf in New Orleans, Louisiana. The fire department deployed fire engines, but the fire smouldered inside a roughly 100-square-foot container near the ship’s engine room. The container was filled with diesel fuel sludge.
The fire, likely sparked by welding work, began about 4:22 p.m. on the Cape Knox.
Later on, firefighters requested a second alarm at 5:03 p.m. as they experienced ‘extreme difficulty’ in reaching the blaze. Firefighters were forced to remove gear and crawl one by one through a small access space to reach the fire—and once there, had just minutes to work before their air tanks were depleted.
By 18:30 the fire was brought under control. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation in hospital.
According to preliminary investigations, oil residues had caught fire when contracted workers were carrying out welding works aboard the ship, which had been docked in New Orleans since February 18th for maintenance.
