In brief
A fire on the container ship One Henry Hudson at the Port of Los Angeles has raised concerns due to hazardous materials on board. All crew members are safe, but a shelter-in-place order has been issued for nearby San Pedro and Wilmington. Over 100 firefighters are engaged in efforts to contain the blaze, which erupted below deck early Friday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fire that broke out aboard a Los Angeles container ship on Friday continued to burn overnight, prompting a shelter-in-place order for surrounding communities over concerns about hazardous materials within the ship’s cargo. All 23 crew members of the ship were accounted for and there were no injuries from the electrical fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officials confirmed that hazardous materials were identified aboard the vessel, the One Henry Hudson.Just before 3 a.m., Mayor Karen Bass announced a shelter-in-place order for areas surrounding the port, including San Pedro and Wilmington. “Remain at home, keep windows closed and turn off HVAC systems,” she stated on X. The U.S. Coast Guard has established a safety zone of one nautical mile around the vessel.The fire appears to have started below deck before spreading to several levels of the ship, causing an explosion mid-deck, according to the fire department. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.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, as stated by Mayor Bass.The 1,102-foot-long vessel is operated by One Ocean Express, a shipping company based in Singapore. Before arriving in Los Angeles, the ship had made stops in Japan, including Kobe, Nagoya, and Tokyo. One Ocean Express did not respond immediately to requests for comments.
