According to recent reports, the containership ONE Henry Hudson has successfully returned to its berth at the Yusen Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles after a challenging firefighting operation that lasted several days. The fire broke out in hard-to-access lower-deck compartments while the vessel was docked last Friday.
A Unified Command, which included representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement, coordinated efforts to manage the situation effectively. Their next steps involve safely offloading both cargo and water that accumulated during firefighting operations.
The incident unfolded on Friday evening when flames erupted aboard the ship. Fortunately, all 23 crew members were evacuated without any injuries reported. The response involved nearly 200 firefighters from Los Angeles City and Long Beach, along with support from various agencies including Cal OES and Coast Guard personnel.
A significant explosion mid-ship caused a power outage on board, prompting crews to retreat temporarily while they continued battling the blaze from shore. Due to identified hazmat risks, authorities made a decisive move overnight to undock and relocate the vessel offshore for safety reasons.
By Saturday morning, ONE Henry Hudson was anchored about one mile away from Angel’s Gate Lighthouse as teams conducted boundary cooling measures and assessed container stability amidst ongoing suppression efforts.
“The safe return of this vessel is a testament to our collaborative approach,” stated U.S. Coast Guard Captain Stacey Crecy, who led incident response operations.
“Our primary focus remains on ensuring safety throughout this process.”
On Wednesday afternoon, longshore labor crews secured cargo lashing while assessing stability for transit back into port under strict safety protocols with firefighting resources standing by throughout its journey.
@USCG Southern California tweeted: “Unified efforts have led ONE Henry Hudson back safely.”
The Hazardous Materials Team continues monitoring air quality around both the ship and nearby communities; thankfully levels remain within safe limits as no adverse effects have been detected outside designated zones.
All hazardous materials onboard have been contained effectively-including water used during firefighting-which will be removed upon docking for proper treatment at an appropriate facility.
The salvage team DONJON-SMIT has played an essential role in managing this incident by bringing in global experts specialized in marine firefighting techniques aimed at ensuring safe transit into port conditions.
“We are collaborating closely with salvage professionals and local labor forces,” remarked Deputy Chief Greg McManus of Los Angeles Port Police regarding ongoing operations aimed at resolving this situation safely.
As assessments continue regarding vessel stability moving forward post-returning dockside-salvage teams will work alongside longshore workers to remove affected cargo efficiently while monitoring conditions closely throughout recovery efforts following initial flooding concerns reported earlier on board cargo hold 03 due primarily due fire suppression activities undertaken previously without current stability issues noted thus far!
This event resulted in temporary shutdowns across four out of seven container terminals along with closures affecting State Route 47 due smoke visibility; however normal port activities have since resumed as investigations into fire causes are underway involving both Coast Guard officials alongside National Transportation Safety Board representatives working diligently towards understanding what transpired here today!
“We appreciate our partners’ swift actions that helped contain & extinguish flames aboard ONE Henry Hudson,” stated officials representing Port Of Los Angeles emphasizing community safety remained paramount throughout these events.”
