A container vessel suffered an onboard fire while berthed at the Port of Wilmington in Delaware on the morning (local time) of Monday, August 10.
The Bahamas-registered reefer ship Dole Colombia was at the port's berth five when a blaze ignited on one of the generators in the vessel's engine room.
The Wilmington Fire Department (WFD) said that a second alarm was struck, prompting the deployment of all on-duty WFD companies as well as mutual aid from surrounding departments.
The incident command later confirmed with the ship’s captain that the engine room had been sealed and the onboard extinguishing system had been activated. The captain also confirmed that all crew had been accounted for and were safe.
Firefighters then deployed hose lines to the areas around the engine room to monitor conditions and confirm that the extinguishing system was holding the fire. Once it was confirmed that the extinguishing system was functioning as intended and holding the fire, the incident was placed under control and units began to be released.
The WFD later continued monitoring the engine room temperatures and conditions. The ship's crew and the US Coast Guard also monitored the affected space for the rest of the day on Monday.
The WFD said one of its firefighters was transported for evaluation. However, the nature and the extent of injuries suffered by the individual were not disclosed.