Improper battery handling caused week-long cargo ship fire

An electrical fault from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle led to the fire aboard a car carrier docked in Florida that resulted in US$40 million worth of damage, officials said Thursday.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a report of its findings, along with eight safety recommendations to federal regulators and the companies involved in the June 2020 blaze.

According to the NTSB report, nine firefighters were injured while responding to the Hoegh Xiamen at the Port of Jacksonville. None of the vessel’s 21 crew was injured. The fire took over a week to extinguish.

The Hoegh Xiamen and its cargo of 2,420 used vehicles were declared a total loss, officials said. The vessel was towed to Turkey to be recycled in August 2020 after salvage operations were completed.

The Hoegh Xiamen was owned by Oceanyield ASA and was operated by Hoegh Autoliners. Ocean Yield said in a statement that it expected an insurance payout of 26 million for the vessel.

Multiple problems

The NTSB concluded many of the vehicles loaded onto the vessel had batteries that were not disconnected and secured in accordance with procedures, which increased the risk of electrical arcing and component faults. During loading operations, both the loading personnel and crew missed opportunities to address these hazards, officials said.

The investigation showed that the detection of the fire was delayed because the vessels’ fire detection systems had not yet been reactivated after loading was completed.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s response to the fire was delayed because the ship’s master didn’t immediately have available contact information for search and rescue authorities and did not know how to report a fire to local authorities.

The NTSB recommended that the shipping companies improve oversight of vehicle loading and training of personnel involved in battery securement. The agency recommended federal agencies improve regulations for ships that transport used vehicles.

The NTSB also recommended that the vessel’s operator revise its procedures for the reactivation of fire detection systems and ensuring emergency contact information is immediately available for bridge teams.