NTSB Report: Cargo Ship Fire in Port Newark Killed Two Firefighters

Cause of the Port Newark Cargo Ship Fire

• 🚒 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated a deadly cargo ship fire that occurred in July 2023.
• 💔 Two Newark firefighters, Captains Augusto Acabou and Wayne Brooks Jr., lost their lives while battling the blaze.

Origin of the Fire

• 💡 The investigation revealed the fire started beneath a pusher vehicle, identified as a Jeep.
• ⚠️ The Jeep was pushing another vehicle up a ramp when the driver heard a loud noise, and the fire originated from boiled-over transmission fluid igniting on a hot engine surface.
• 🚗 The fire spread from the Jeep to the vehicle it was pushing, and subsequently to other vehicles on deck 10.

Vehicle Recall and Contributing Factors

• 🔧 The NTSB noted that the specific model of Jeep involved had been recalled due to a potential issue where its transmission could cause fluid to catch fire if overheated.
• 🚢 The incident took place on board the Italian-owned ship, Grande Costa Devorio, in Port Newark.