GMM Safety | 2025-11-23 | Case Incidents |

A major fire aboard the container ship ONE HENRY HUDSON at the Port of Los Angeles was brought under control after a coordinated multi-agency response that saw the vessel moved offshore, with all 23 crew members safely evacuated and no injuries reported.

The incident began at 6:38 PM on Friday, November 21, when fire broke out aboard the docked vessel at Berth 218 in the Port of Los Angeles, prompting a major firefighting operation involving nearly 200 Los Angeles City Fire Department personnel, supported by the Long Beach Fire Department, the United States Coast Guard, Los Angeles Port Police, and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

“The Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were the first to arrive on scene and immediately coordinated a response with local partners from other agencies,” said Assistant Chief Carlos Calvillo, LAFD incident commander. “Fire burned on multiple sub-levels below deck in areas that were largely inaccessible, which required a high level of communication and coordination from everyone to ensure the safety of on scene personnel and the crew members aboard the vessel. Remarkably, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported as a result of this ship fire.”

The fire presented significant challenges from the outset. Flames burned on multiple sub-levels below deck in largely inaccessible areas. At approximately 8:00 PM, a mid-ship explosion knocked out power to the vessel’s lights and cranes, forcing firefighters to adapt their strategy. After hazardous materials were identified in several affected bays, Unified Command made the decision to withdraw all personnel from the ship and continue fire suppression from a safe distance using master streams from fire engines and fire boats.

The firefighting effort deployed resources from land, sea, and air. LAFD’s specialized teams included Heavy Rescue, HazMat, USAR, Fire Boats, and Air Operations units. Long Beach Fire Department contributed two Battalion Chiefs, a foam apparatus, and Fire Boats 15 and 20 to work alongside LAFD’s five fire boats. Thermal imaging from a CalOES FIRIS fixed-wing aircraft provided critical monitoring of fire conditions and heat signatures from above.

As a precautionary measure, Unified Command issued a shelter-in-place order for San Pedro and Wilmington residents at approximately 12:00 AM on Saturday, November 22, even though continuous air monitoring by LAFD HazMat teams, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and LA County Health Hazmat, showed air quality readings in the smoke plume remained within normal ranges.

At approximately 3:00 AM Saturday morning, agencies coordinated a large-scale operation to undock the vessel and escort it from the Port of Los Angeles out to sea beyond the Vincent Thomas Bridge. By 4:43 AM, ONE HENRY HUDSON was successfully anchored approximately one mile from shore near Angel’s Gate Lighthouse.

With the ship safely positioned in open water, the shelter-in-place order was lifted at 6:30 AM on Saturday. As of 1:30 PM Saturday, the fire was isolated to a single cargo hold with fire boats on scene from both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach providing consistent fire boat presence to conduct fire suppression efforts.

The Coast Guard established a safety zone approximately 1/2 nautical mile around the ship and is directing vessel traffic in the area. The Coast Guard has staged additional search and rescue resources nearby and is assisting in stability and hazardous material assessments of the vessel.

“We worked closely with our local partners to keep crews safe, move the vessel offshore, and prevent any disruption to the Port of Los Angeles,” said Capt. Jarrod DeWitz, Coast Guard incident commander. “We will continue to collaborate until the vessel is fully stable and no longer poses a risk to the port or the community.”

“The successful isolation of this vessel fire shows a strong partnership between the Port of Los Angeles and our local partners,” said Capt. Daniel Cobos, Port of Los Angeles Police Department incident commander. “Our coordinated response ensured operations continued uninterrupted at one of the largest ports in the country.”

The incident temporarily disrupted port operations, with four of the Port’s seven container terminals suspending operations and State Route 47 closed due to smoke and visibility concerns. The Port of Los Angeles has since resumed operations.

Responders conducted accountability of all 23 crew members with assistance from the Port of Los Angeles Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Crew members of the vessel assisted in the movement and anchoring of the vessel outside the port and are continuing onboard efforts to contain the fire.

The fire comes at a critical time for the Port of Los Angeles, which is on track to surpass 10 million TEUs in 2025 for the third time in its history. “If we reach that milestone, it would be the third time in our history and something no other Western Hemisphere port has achieved even once,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a recent media briefing.

Fire suppression operations are expected to continue while salvage teams continue their work under the coordination of all agencies in Unified Command.