Fire on Container Ship at Port of LA Causes Brief Shelter-in-Place Order
A massive blaze erupted on a container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles, prompting a brief shelter-in-place order for surrounding communities due to concerns over hazardous materials on board. The fire broke out Friday night and nearly contained itself by Saturday morning, but authorities were still assessing whether the hazardous materials burned had caused significant contamination.
The One Henry Hudson, operated by Ocean Network Express, was carrying cargo from Japan when the electrical fire started below deck, spreading to several levels of the ship before an explosion mid-deck. Roughly 100 cargo containers were engulfed in flames, many containing dangerous materials including lithium-ion batteries and hazardous waste.
"We don't know specifically which ones burned," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Adam Van Gerpen, adding that officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
While all 23 crew members were accounted for and there were no injuries, a safety zone and temporary flight restriction were established around the vessel to mitigate potential risks. The Coast Guard confirmed that a safety zone was in place but said it was too early to determine the extent of any potential contamination.
Firefighters battled the blaze with over 100 personnel involved, with efforts continuing overnight. The ship's cargo includes hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries and other waste, raising concerns about the potential for environmental damage.
The Port of Los Angeles operations resumed by Saturday morning, but the incident has raised questions about safety protocols at one of North America's busiest seaports.
A massive blaze erupted on a container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles, prompting a brief shelter-in-place order for surrounding communities due to concerns over hazardous materials on board. The fire broke out Friday night and nearly contained itself by Saturday morning, but authorities were still assessing whether the hazardous materials burned had caused significant contamination.
The One Henry Hudson, operated by Ocean Network Express, was carrying cargo from Japan when the electrical fire started below deck, spreading to several levels of the ship before an explosion mid-deck. Roughly 100 cargo containers were engulfed in flames, many containing dangerous materials including lithium-ion batteries and hazardous waste.
"We don't know specifically which ones burned," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Adam Van Gerpen, adding that officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
While all 23 crew members were accounted for and there were no injuries, a safety zone and temporary flight restriction were established around the vessel to mitigate potential risks. The Coast Guard confirmed that a safety zone was in place but said it was too early to determine the extent of any potential contamination.
Firefighters battled the blaze with over 100 personnel involved, with efforts continuing overnight. The ship's cargo includes hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries and other waste, raising concerns about the potential for environmental damage.
The Port of Los Angeles operations resumed by Saturday morning, but the incident has raised questions about safety protocols at one of North America's busiest seaports.
another container ship fire 
what's up with these things? like we're really surprised that a bunch of cargo containers on fire aren't a big deal... i mean, i get it, accidents happen, but this is just LA, one of the busiest ports in the world... shouldn't they have better safety protocols in place? 
I'm not saying the crew members didn't do their job or anything, but it's just weird that this happened. Anyway, glad no one got hurt (apparently), but still some serious questions to be asked about safety procedures... 
What if those cargo containers had spilled some toxic stuff into the ocean? Like, what would've happened to all those marine animals? 
I'm just glad nobody got hurt, but still super worried about those hazardous materials and potential environmental damage. Hope they get to the bottom of it soon 
what if it leaked toxic stuff into the ocean? 
but still gotta investigate the cause of the fire 
maybe they can learn from it and improve safety protocols 
gotta be super careful with hazardous materials on ships 
Man, this fire on that container ship is a sobering reminder of how fragile our supply chains are 
It's a tough question to answer, but I think it's one we need to ask ourselves every day.
. We've gotten so used to thinking that these kinds of incidents are rare and can't happen to us, but they can 
, just think about all those hazardous materials on that ship! Lithium-ion batteries and other waste - it's crazy how quickly things can get out of control. Interesting how a small fire can cause such big concerns 
. And good that everyone on board is safe... 
. I'm glad no one got hurt but like, how do you even prevent something like this from happening? 
. I know it's better safe than sorry but still, it's not like this is going to happen every day or something 
OMG what a scary situation! I'm so relieved that everyone on board is safe 
. And the fact that it took firefighters over 100 people to put out the blaze? 
.
. What kind of safety protocols are in place here that let something like this happen? 
. The Port operations resumed by Saturday, which is great 
, but this incident has me thinking about how we prioritize safety in our ports 
.
sounds like they had to evacuate some areas for a while too 
️.