Lithium-Ion Battery Fire on Cargo Ship in Anchorage, Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Following a multi-day battle, the U.S. Coast Guard announced late Saturday that the fire caused by lithium-ion batteries on board a large cargo ship has been extinguished. The ship, named Genius Star XI, has now been directed to anchor near Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

Fortunately, all 19 crew members of the vessel were unharmed, and technicians from the Salvage and Marine Firefighting team have remained on board to ensure the fire does not reignite, as stated in a press release by the Coast Guard.

To maintain stability and minimize the risk of a re-flash, Capt. Chris Culpepper explained that the ship will remain in this protected anchorage until response efforts conclude. Once this is complete, an investigation into the origins of the fire will be initiated.

The cargo ship was transporting lithium-ion batteries from Vietnam to San Diego when the crew notified the Coast Guard of the fire early Thursday morning. Due to concerns of a potential explosion, carbon dioxide was pumped into hold No. 1, where the fire originated, and subsequently sealed off.

In response to the emergency, the Coast Guard rerouted the 410-foot vessel to Dutch Harbor, a bustling fishing port situated in Unalaska – an Aleutian Islands community located approximately 800 miles southwest of Anchorage.

Upon arrival at Dutch Harbor on Friday, Genius Star XI was kept at a safe distance of 2 miles from the shore to mitigate potential risks to both the local community and environment posed by toxic gases emitted during the firefighting efforts. According to Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Mike Salerno’s email to The Associated Press, there have been no oil leaks associated with the fire, as confirmed by the ship’s owners, Wisdom Marine Group.