Tug reaches flaming ship carrying electric cars off Alaska coast
- Reference: 1749650472
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/06/11/ship_electric_fire/
- Source link:
The vessel, operated by the British firm Zodiac Marine, was transporting 3,000 cars – 800 of them electric – from China to Mexico on June 3, when the crew noticed smoke billowing out of the level where the electric cars are parked. They tried to tackle the blaze but had to take to the lifeboats, after which a merchant craft that responded to their mayday message rescued them.
The ship continued to burn and drifted northeast at approximately 1.8 miles per hour (1.6 knots/2.9 kmh), the US Coast Guard [1]said on Monday. It is currently 220 miles (354 km) south of Adak, America's westernmost city, located in the Aleutian Islands.
[2]
That's going to take more than a lick of paint to fix – Pic: US Coast Guard
The case highlights the dangers of working with lithium batteries, particularly when sea water is involved. Since it is a much better conductor of electricity than fresh water, salt water has been shown to short out some batteries, causing a runaway thermal reaction.
Once a lithium fire starts, it's incredibly difficult to put out. A specially developed powder is usually used to starve the fire of oxygen - a matter complicated by the battery occasionally flaring up again after seemingly being extinguished.
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On Monday, the tug Gretchen Dunlap arrived to survey the scene. There's no report that it has managed to secure a line on the abandoned vessel, but given the weather conditions - 45-50 knot winds and six foot (1.8 meter) seas - it could be rather difficult.
[4]
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A Zodiac spokesperson told The Register that the tug was carrying salvage experts and specialized equipment to make the ship safe. Another two ships with firefighting and long-distance towing capability are on their way to the scene and, so far, the team on site reports that the vessel is still watertight and there's no visible pollution apart from the smoke.
[6]Ship abandoned off Alaska after electric cars on board catch fire
[7]Waymo problems in La La Land as robotaxis set aflame
[8]Alibaba Cloud struggles after blaze at Digital Realty Singapore datacenter
[9]Heat can make Li-Ion batteries explode. Or restore their capacity, say Chinese boffins
The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority
"The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority," said Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District. "We are working closely with Zodiac Maritime to ensure a safe and effective plan to address the fire and mitigate any potential impacts to the environment.”
The last [10]reported case of this kind of fire at sea happened in 2022 aboard the car transporter Felicity Ace, which was carrying nearly 4,000 vehicles. In that case, it was determined that a lithium battery in a Porsche ignited. The ship was abandoned until it burned out, then it sank while under tow to harbor.
Clearly, Zodiac is going to try and get the fire under control in this case, but the longer it burns, the greater the risk of the hull failing. [11]According to the Coast Guard the two remaining tugs should be on site in the next two weeks. ®
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[1] https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4211030/update-2-coast-guard-responds-to-vessel-fire-offshore-adak-alaska/
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2025/06/10/car-transporter-fire.jpg
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aEmoCJ7sa6JUvdGChK1x8wAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aEmoCJ7sa6JUvdGChK1x8wAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aEmoCJ7sa6JUvdGChK1x8wAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/05/zodiac_maritime_electric_car_fire/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/09/la_protest_waymo/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/10/digtal_realty_singapore_datacenter_fire/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/17/heat_repairs_li_ion_batteries/
[10] https://fortune.com/europe/2024/03/05/volkswagen-hit-2-lawsuits-porsche-ev-battery-triggered-massive-2022-fire-sank-cargo-ship-thousands-cars/
[11] https://x.com/USCGAlaska/status/1932250254432481427
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: ships or decks never catch fire
Salt water would interact with the batteries once it catches fire and you use the ships regular fire water supply (the ocean) to try to put it out. Burning fluids that float on water are answered with fire fighting foam which, in turn, sits on the fire and smothers it. A ship could also carry equipment for specialized handling of battery fires and maybe will in the future.
Re: ships or decks never catch fire
Have you seen the lengths you need to go to to extinguish an EV fire?
https://insideevs.com/news/671263/ellermann-eurocon-redbox-fire-extinguishing-water-container/
Now try replicating that on a packed ship's deck.
The most realistic option would probably be to jettison the burning car overboard!
Re: ships or decks never catch fire
An interesting difference is the burning petroleum that runs out of one sort, and spreads under other vehicles, and downhill if it isn't prevented. That's a hard fire to control.
Sure, but you don't have to ship cars full of petrol. Unfortunately, that's not an option with EVs and their highly combustible batteries.
And the tug boat captain said…
“Morning Midas. How’s the gold doing?”
I think the last similar case was 2023
The Fremantle Highway, in European waters, and brought to port.
Confident statements that there was an electric car on board ...
'Noticing' smoke
the crew noticed smoke billowing out of the level where the electric cars are parked
WTF!!! Does the ship not have smoke detectors, heat sensors or fire alarms? I realise that the high seas may well be a 'challenging environment' for such things on a cargo ship, but shirley they should not just rely on a sailor looking out of a porthole to find out if the thing is on fire?
ships or decks never catch fire
unless they have electric cars in?
If a car in the cargo has seawater washing inside its battery box and getting into the modules, I venture to suggest the ship already has a very large problem.
Different fires will have different characteristics, but the peak output of a burning car is similar, at 2-6MW, regardless of it's motive power, since it comes from the fittings, in the main.
An interesting difference is the burning petroleum that runs out of one sort, and spreads under other vehicles, and downhill if it isn't prevented. That's a hard fire to control.
Some provenance on the rumour or suggestion would be useful.