Two firefighters were killed Wednesday night after a massive fire broke out on a large cargo ship docked in a New Jersey port, officials say.
“We lost two firefighters today,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka announced at the scene, according to ABC 7 New York. “A tragedy for us in the city of Newark and tragic for all firefighters who know what it means to go in a burning structure in a danger that you are going to have to experience when you do so.”
Breaking News: Two firefighters died while responding to a fire on a cargo ship at Port Newark in New Jersey on Wednesday, the authorities said. https://t.co/AMPnOu0i1p
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 6, 2023
The fire began at around 9:30 p.m. on the 1oth floor of the vehicle cargo ship Grande Costa d’Avorio, after some of the thousands of cars onboard ignited, The New York Times (NYT) reported. Firefighters were able to zero in on the source of the initial blaze, consisting of about five to seven cars before the inferno spread to the 11th and 12th decks of the ship, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Red Sea Tour Boat Fire Leaves Three UK Divers Dead)
As the firefighters attempted to extinguish the blaze, they were pushed out of the area where the initial fire began due to the intense heat, Newark Fire Department Chief Rufus Jackson said in a news conference Thursday morning, according to the NYT. The two firefighters were lost while backing out of the structure, Jackson reportedly continued.
“This was a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the family of each of these members and also the Newark fire department,” Jackson said, according to the NYT. “We’re going to continue to work, and we’re going to continue to pray for the family of the two members who were lost tonight.”
Firefighters were still battling the fire early Thursday morning, Baraka said, the NYT reported. “We still have agencies and guys inside now still trying to put this fire out in this boat. … I saw the kinds of acts of bravery and camaraderie today that’s unparalleled. … It’s very, very traumatic for all of us in the city of Newark.”