Operations continue two weeks after fire onboard vessel off Alaska

As the US Coast Guard informs, response personnel continue to offload CO2 bottles for inspection, refill, and reinstallation. The bottles are part of the ship’s installed firefighting equipment that are required to meet Safety Of Life At Sea requirements established by the International Maritime Organization.

The Unified Command established a Technical Expert Advisory Group to provide advice on technical issues related to response operations. The group is developing an air circulation plan for the cargo holds to be implemented by the salvage team onboard the vessel. Assessment teams continue to conduct air monitoring on-site and ashore, including five locations around Dutch Harbor.

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.

According to the US Coast Guard, air quality remains normal, and teams will continuously conduct air monitoring as outside air is slowly introduced into the cargo holds.       

The Unified Command will continue to proceed safely and methodically for the duration of the response. The ship remains stable, and we are making risk-based decisions for operations based on technical expert guidance.

… said Capt. Chris Culpepper, Captain of the Port  

Members of the salvage team will remain onboard with the ship’s crew throughout the extreme weather to monitor the vessel’s condition. An investigation into the cause will take place once response efforts are complete.      

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