Recently, a transport ship named Grande Costa dAvorio caught fire at the Newark terminal, drawing widespread attention. The ship was carrying more than 1,200 cars and 157 containers, destined for West Africa. The fire occurred on the ships No. 10 deck during loading operations. According to the ship operator, there were no electric vehicles on board.

According to reports, Gallagher Marine Systems (GMS), representing shipowner Grimaldi Deepsea, participated in the disaster response. GMS President Thomas Wiker stated at a press conference that the fire is expected to burn for several more days and explained that a specific timeline cannot be provided.

This fire caused the deaths of two New Jersey firefighters, with five others injured. Maritime firefighting experts made considerable progress after actively conducting firefighting operations on the embankment and water. The Coast Guard stated in a declaration, As of Saturday afternoon, the fire had been controlled and was being extinguished on Deck 11, with no further spread to other areas of the vessel.,

This fire is having broader impacts on the ports of New York and New Jersey. Port director Rooney stated that beyond the situation at the fire site itself, they are also concerned about operational activities in other parts of the port. He described the impact so far as moderate.,

Recent closures of shipping lanes near the port have affected cargo transport, primarily for automobiles. He also stated that other auto carriers docked at the port in the past 36 hours were impacted and remain at anchor. The port is implementing contingency plans to redirect this cargo.

However, the impact on container terminals has been negligible. According to Rooney, approximately 99.5% of container activity remains unaffected by these events. The port will continue monitoring the situation and work closely with terminal operators to mitigate any effects, using contingency plans to maintain commercial operations.

Overall, while the closure of port shipping lanes has affected a small portion of auto transport activity, the impact on container operations is negligible. The port will take measures to ensure smooth operations. This incident serves as another reminder that safety remains paramount in the transportation industry.