Ship is moved out to sea from Port of LA after fire erupts onboard; shelter-in-place order lifted
SAN PEDRO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After a massive fire erupted on a container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles, the vessel was moved out to sea overnight and a shelter-in-place order was lifted Saturday morning in San Pedro, officials said.
The fire was reported around 6:38 p.m. Friday with 124 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responding, according to Lyndsey Lantz, a spokesperson for the department.
Personnel from the Long Beach Fire Department and Port Police also assisted. The ship, named the One Henry Hudson, was moved out to sea overnight as firefighters worked to get control of the fire. The Coast Guard established a safety zone approximately 1/2 nautical miles around the ship and
is directing vessel traffic in the area.
The LAFD said firefighters had been unable to access roughly 40 burning containers as of Saturday morning "because of how deep some of these are."
The fire started with an electrical fire below deck, according to fire officials.
Fire was visible on several levels of the 1,100-foot vessel as LAFD crews worked to confirm all 23 crew members were accounted for and safely off the ship while identifying the fire's source and working to contain it. No injuries were reported.
Port Police and Customs personnel helped with crew leaving the ship, Lantz said.
LAFD hazmat teams monitored air quality as suppression efforts continued in the ship's sub-levels, where access remained difficult. A shelter-in-place order was issued north of Point Fermin, between South Western Avenue and State Route 103 for both San Pedro and nearby Wilmington, the LAFD said.
Due to the fire at the port, the California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert for the closure of all lanes of the 47 Freeway, between Gaffey Street and Ocean Boulevard in San Pedro for an unknown duration and the freeway remained closed early Saturday morning.
"A waterside safety zone around the ship has been established and the State Route 47 has been closed due to smoke and visibility concerns," said a statement from the Port of Los Angeles. "No injuries have been reported and all crew members are accounted for."
The department also issued a shelter-in-place order for the area immediately surrounding the fire. The order was lifted Saturday morning.
Crew members attempted to assist firefighters navigating lower compartments.
As of 1:30 p.m., Saturday, the fire was isolated to a single cargo hold with a fire boat on scene from the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, authorities said.
The fire had remained under major emergency status as of 7:30 p.m. Friday. At 7:58 p.m., an explosion was reported mid-deck, disrupting power to the ship, including lighting and crane operations. About 30 minutes later, the final five crew members were assisted off the vessel, and all crew were accounted for, according to Lantz.
Four of the port's seven container terminals suspended operations.
More than 180 firefighters responded to the fire, Lantz said.
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.
