Key Takeaways:
- A fire broke out on a containership at the Port of Los Angeles, the largest port in the United States, and continues to burn outside of the port.
- The Trump administration has not reached out to offer assistance despite the port’s efforts to set up meetings with cabinet officials.
- Approximately 117 containers were physically damaged out of the 8,000 onboard the vessel, with cargo including machinery, auto parts, and medical personal protective equipment.
- The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the salvage plan, but the port’s executive director, Gene Seroka, says federal coordination is needed to handle the cleanup.
- The lack of coordination with Trump administration officials stands in contrast to Seroka’s experience with previous administrations.
Introduction to the Incident
The Port of Los Angeles, the largest port in the United States, is currently dealing with the aftermath of a fire that broke out on a containership on Friday. The fire, which started on a lower deck of the Ocean Network Express (ONE) containership One Henry Hudson, continues to burn outside of the port. Despite the severity of the situation, the Trump administration has not reached out to offer assistance, according to Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. Seroka has been trying to set up meetings with Trump cabinet officials, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, since the inauguration, but has not received a response.
The Fire and Its Aftermath
The electrical fire on the One Henry Hudson started at 6:38 p.m. local time on Friday, and an explosion shook the vessel shortly before 8 p.m., knocking out power to lights and cranes. Nearby residents were ordered to shelter in place due to hazardous material on board, but the shelter-in-place order was lifted on Saturday. All crew aboard the One Henry Hudson have been safely accounted for, and approximately 117 containers were physically damaged out of the 8,000 onboard the vessel. The ship was moved four miles out to sea to prevent the fire from damaging the port infrastructure, and the terminal has resumed operations. The cargo on board the ship included machinery, auto parts for Toyota Motor, components for Caterpillar, fresh fruit, Nike footwear, and medical personal protective equipment.
Need for Federal Assistance
The faster the administration can push for cleanup, the sooner U.S. companies will know whether their cargo can be deemed a loss. Seroka has spoken with Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, and is reaching out to anyone he knows to get assistance. However, he emphasizes that the U.S. Coast Guard is leading the salvage plan, and a fire boat is on hand for both fire suppression and cooling. Still, Seroka says there has been no coordination on the federal level to handle the cleanup, which is critical to prevent further damage and loss. The lack of coordination with Trump administration officials stands in stark contrast to his experience with previous administrations, including the Obama administration, where he met with former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and former Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez.
Challenges in Fighting Vessel Fires
Fires aboard container vessels are notoriously difficult to fight, according to John Miklus, president of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters. Crews have limited firefighting training and resources aboard a vessel, and conditions at sea, such as wind and waves, can make it even more challenging. In this case, the vessel was at a calm shoreside berth, and trained, professional firefighters and fireboats were on scene to battle the fire. However, even with all of this support, it still took many hours to bring the fire under control. Maritime insurers also face problems posed by undeclared or misdeclared cargoes, such as Lithium-Ion batteries and other hazardous freight, which can catch fire and be difficult to put out.
Conclusion and Call to Action
The need for federal administration officials to get involved in the cleanup has become critical. There are federally sanctioned jobs that are associated with the cleanup of the containership fire, and Seroka says the Trump administration needs to push for them to hustle. It will take time to clean this up once the fire is completely out, but with federal coordination, the process can be expedited. The Port of Los Angeles is the largest container port in the Western Hemisphere and the busiest in North America, and the administration should be reaching out to offer assistance. Thankfully, the terminals are operating, but there is a loss of freight and a massive cleanup ahead, and Seroka emphasizes that the administration’s involvement is necessary to get things done faster.