A general cargo ship making a trans-Pacific crossing is reporting that it is battling cargo hold fires with a load of lithium-ion batteries aboard. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center has instructed the vessel to proceed toward Dutch Harbor, Alaska in the ongoing situation. Resources are being assembled to help fight the fire when the vessel gets closer to Alaska.

The news outlet Must Read Alaska is reporting that a fire was initially discovered aboard the vessel on December 25 in the number 1 cargo hold. They are saying the suspicion is that heavy seas may have caused the fire to ignite, but the vessel was able to use its CO2 fire suppression system.

A second fire has now been reported aboard the ship in its number 2 cargo hold but according to the news outlet, the vessel has already exhausted its CO2 system. They are reporting that the crew is perimeter cooling the cargo holds. The captain has ordered the crew not to open the holds so that they remain sealed helping to contain and control the fire.

The Coast Guard District Command Center in Juneau received the report of the fire at 4:40 a.m. local time on December 28 while the cargo ship was approximately 225 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The vessel, the Genius Star XI, is a small handy size bulker owned by Taiwan’s Wisdom Marine Lines. She departed Hai Pong, Vietnam on December 10 after stops in Thailand and Singapore and is bound for San Diego, California. Built in 2012, the ship is 410 feet (125 meters) in length and 13,663 dwt. Reports are that there is a crew of 19 aboard.

[There’s 800 metric tons of lithium ion batteries onboard. This has to be terrifying. And impossible to fight. I hope they all get off the vessel safely. God bless our Coasties and keep them safe assisting. The weather sucks out there now. ~ Beege]