9 firefighters hospitalized after explosion on auto hauler ship in Florida

Dan Scanlan and David Bauerlein, The Florida Times-Union
·2 min read

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nine Jacksonville firefighters were hurt when a fire, then explosion rocked an auto hauler ship Thursday at Blount Island, according to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

Four of them were treated for burns and injuries after being taken to the UF Health Shands Burn Center in Gainesville. The others were treated at UF Health Jacksonville, one in surgery and another in intensive care.

Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Powers said eight were injured in the explosion, while another suffered from heat exhaustion. All were in stable condition. The explosion occurred as firefighters were battling a fire on board.

“We still had crews inside fighting fire and the situation was not under control,” Powers said. “This is probably the most dangerous firefighting that we do.”

Three Jacksonville fire boats blasted the huge ship’s hull with water to cool down some “pretty significant” hot spots found via infrared cameras, Coast Guard Jacksonville Capt. Mark Vlaun said.

In this image made from aerial video taken on June 4, 2020, firefighters spray a cargo ship with water, in Jacksonville, Florida.
In this image made from aerial video taken on June 4, 2020, firefighters spray a cargo ship with water, in Jacksonville, Florida.

“This is an incredibly complex maritime fire on board a relatively large roll-on/roll-off car carrier,” he said. “Our No. 1 goal is to maintain the structural integrity of the ship. Since the entire crew and firefighters are off at this point, the effort remains one of trying to protect the environment and control and maintain the fire as best we can.”

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department initially responded to the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Blount Island Terminal after a fire broke out on a M/V Höegh Xiamen, a 600-foot vehicle carrier ship. About 2,400 wrecked and salvaged cars were loaded on board when the fire broke out, and the Coast Guard was notified just before 4 p.m.

All 21 crew members were able to get safely off the ship, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The explosion occurred several hours after the initial fire.

Powers said 150 firefighters battled the blaze Thursday, being rotated in and out to keep exhaustion at bay.

Investigators said it is too soon to determine the fire’s cause as the state fire marshal, National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard will investigate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 9 Florida firefighters injured after explosion on auto hauler ship