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In Los Angeles, a fire that erupted on a container ship on Friday has persisted into the night, raising alarms over the potential danger of hazardous materials on board. The incident has led officials to issue a shelter-in-place directive for nearby communities as a precautionary measure.
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that all 23 crew members aboard the ship, named One Henry Hudson, have been safely accounted for without injuries. The fire, which is electrical in nature, has brought attention to the presence of hazardous materials within the ship’s cargo.
Early in the morning, just before 3 a.m., Mayor Karen Bass alerted the residents of the affected areas, including San Pedro and Wilmington, to stay indoors. She advised on social media platform X, “Remain at home, keep windows closed and turn off HVAC systems.”
In response to the ongoing incident, the U.S. Coast Guard has set up a safety perimeter extending one nautical mile around the ship to ensure the security of the surrounding area.
The U.S. Coast Guard said a safety zone of one nautical mile had been established around the vessel.
The fire appears to have started below deck, before spreading to several levels of the ship, leading to an explosion mid-deck, according to the fire department. It was not immediately clear how the fire started.
More than 100 firefighters were called to battle the blaze at the Port of Los Angeles, known as the busiest seaport in North America. Their efforts continued overnight, Bass said.
The 1,102-foot-long (336-meter-long) vessel is operated by One Ocean Express, a shipping company headquartered in Singapore. Before Los Angeles, the ship had most recently been in Japan, stopping in Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo.