A cargo ship carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, caught fire off Alaska’s coast, forcing the crew to evacuate. The vessel Morning Midas burned 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, after smoke was seen coming from the EV deck.
Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s operator, said the 22 crew members could not extinguish the flames and abandoned the ship. They escaped in lifeboats and transferred to a nearby merchant vessel with assistance from the US Coast Guard and other ships.
According to the Coast Guard, three vessels were already in the area when the emergency response began to unfold. Morning Midas left Yantai, China, on May 26 and was headed for Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico when the fire broke out.
The ship, which sails under a Liberian flag, had passed through the Pacific before encountering trouble near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Zodiac Maritime confirmed the fire started on a deck loaded with electric vehicles, but the brands remain unidentified.
Electric vehicle fires present unique hazards, often reigniting due to the heat and chemistry of lithium-ion batteries. Following the fire, the Coast Guard deployed a cutter and aircrew to help with salvage and safety operations.
This incident brings renewed attention to the risks posed by transporting large numbers of EVs across the ocean. In 2022, a similar fire sank a ship loaded with luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, near the Azores.
Shipboard fires, especially on car carriers and roll-on roll-off vessels, are growing concerns for global maritime insurers. Steamship Mutual, one of Morning Midas’s insurers, has yet to comment on the situation or possible claims.
