Fire Subsides on huge cargo ship adrift in mid-Atlantic

The Fire onboard the large car-carrying cargo ship Felicity Ace could soon be extinguishedbecause there might not be anything left to burn. The 656 foot-long Felicity Ace roll-on/roll-offcar-carrying ship caught in the North Atlantic last Wednesday; it carried around 4,000vehicles, including Porsches, Volkswagens, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, and Audis from Emden,Germany to Davisville, Rhode Island.

All 22 crew members safely abandoned the ship after the Fire spread. A full five days after thecargo ship and the luxury cars it was carrying on board began to burn 90 nautical milessouthwest of Portugal’s Azores islands, captain João Mendes Cabeças told the Portuguese newsagency, Lusa, that “the Fire had subsided in recent hours credits to a lack of materials left to blaze through.

Two large tugboats arrived on the scene Tuesday from Gibraltar and are spraying the ship with water to cool it down, according to a statement from the owner of the Felicity Ace, Japanese ship operator Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). The tugboats will also help position the Felicity Ace as safety conditions are assessed. Once approved, the initial salvage team will board and provide more insight on the damage and the next steps.Two salvage boats are en route to the cargo ship to assist firefighting and towing.

Cabeças told Reuters over the weekend that the Fire was being kept alive by the lithium-ionbatteries of the electric cars on board, with flames edging closer and closer to the ship’s fuel tanks. A primary concern of the Portuguese navy has been the potential environmental impact of the Fire. Pollution is a high risk with many fuels and car batteries present. According to the MOL statement Tuesday, there is currently no oil leakage confirmed from the stable ship.