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Around 100 cars damaged in fire

Around 100 cars were damaged in the fire on the 'Delphine' in the port of Zeebrugge. This was reported by the fire brigade after they entered the area with fire-resistant suits and oxygen bottles. There were 140 vehicles on the affected car deck, of which at least 100 have burned out. Among them many electric cars. Most batteries have burned out completely.The space was still between 60 and 100 degrees warm, which meant that the fire would flare up again if we were to open a hatch and allow oxygen in. Around midnight, nitrogen was supplied to extinguish the fire in that space. On the morning there was another consultation and it was decided not to open the space. The ship was equipped with CO2 tanks and with that the first part of the fire was fought. It will take a long time before the cars are removed from the space. The deck above was full of trailers and they also have to be removed from the ship. A ventilation operation with high-pressure fans started on April 18 at 10:00 a.m. and lasted until the evening. Due to the landward wind direction, there was a risk of smoke and odour nuisance in the area. Fire boats continued to actively cool the hull for fear of a re-emergence.

Fire in Zeebrugge

On April 16, 2025, at 3 p.m. a fire broke out on a vehicle deck of the 'Delphine', which had arrived from Immingham on April 15 and was moored at the Britannia Dock in the port of Zeebrugge. There were 110 electrical cars on board. Firefighters were attending in large contingents. Everyone on board was safely evacuated, there were no injuries. The captain of the ship remained on board to monitor the situation together with the fire brigade and emergency services. The fire was brought under control. Besides the fire brigade, four tugs were also deployed to fight the fire and cool down the ship's hull at starboard side. The internal fire fighting system was activated. By cutting off the oxygen supply with carbon dioxide, the fire was brought under control. The fire brigade was now looking at how to tackle the fire further. There was a risk that the fire might flare up again when the hatches are opened. It was also not yet clear how extensive the damage is. The hold is pitch black due to the large amount of smoke. There was a lot of smoke from the electric cars, which also made the extinguishing work more difficult.The fire had no major consequences for the operation of the rest of the port. The ships can still sail in and out, a ship that was at the LNG terminal had to wait because of the perimeter. Report with photo: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/04/16/brand-cargoschip-zeebrugge/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJsukpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkXXEm991fWYvFkGT82yNG3f2l3C3_KoYBSUpmK08mIF06cgsQM4eP6jIfko_aem_Ctw36kMssSfI_sSFUneKdQ https://focus-wtv.be/nieuws/brand-op-russisch-cargoschip-in-haven-zeebrugge-brandweer-nog-volop-aan-het-blussen

Follow up of major fire will be a long term job

The major fire aboard the 'Delphine' was moreless under control after five hours of extinguishing at the CLdN terminal on the border of Heist and Zeebrugge. The fire started on the cargo deck of the ship. All 26 crew members and other people present were immediately evacuated. Only the captain remained on board to help coordinate the situation. The police also set up a large perimeter on land and on the water. The emergency services were present in large contingents throughout the afternoon and evening. Two fire boats were deployed as well as the Ghent fire brigade, which came to provide reinforcement. It was not clear how many of the vehicles present caught fire. There were about 190 new vehicles on the third deck, 60 of which were electric. It was one of those electric vehicles that caught fire. The affected cars were presumed to be a total loss. The heavy smoke was blowed towards the sea and therefore did not pose a danger to the residents of Knokke-Heist and Zeebrugge. The automatic fire extinguishing system was activated shortly after the fire, and as a result, the fire was limited to one deck. The affected deck of the ship will also only be reopened after the rescue forces have taken the necessary precautions. According to an initial estimate, around 60 to 70 vehicles have completely burned out. A boom has been laid out around the ship so that harmful substances released into the water cannot spread further. The fire brigade remained present all night to monitor the situation and blow nitrogen into the deck that was brought over from Antwerp. After a whole night of extinguishing the fire, the emergency services were still unable to open the doors due to the high temperature on April 17. There may also be damage to the ship itself, where deformations were to be seen, The emergency services were now waiting for CO² to be supplied to fill the tanks on board the ship. These are completely empty due to the extinguishing work, and in order not to take any risks, they were waiting for it to be replenished, which is expected at around noon. Then it will take another 6 to 8 hours to fill the tanks completely. The fire brigade has to stay on site all that time and may be even for days, as ince the temperature is low enough and the doors can be opened, the vehicles will probably have to be removed from the ship one by one. The fire brigade will also have to remain present in this case. It is not yet possible to give a precise timeline to this, but it is clear that it will be a long-term job. The damage to the ship will then also have to be assessed. Reports with phtoos and video: https://www.pzc.nl/brugge/zelfs-na-hele-nacht-koelen-is-temperatuur-in-cargoschip-in-zeebrugge-nog-te-hoog-te-gevaarlijk-om-ruimte-al-te-betreden~ad3dd5f3/ https://www.hln.be/brugge/blusboten-vechten-al-uren-tegen-zware-brand-op-schip-met-bijna-200-wagens-in-zeebrugge-blijven-hele-nacht-aanwezig~a781ce15/ https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20250416_95102958 https://www.egear.be/brand-haven-zeebrugge-2025-04/ https://www.hbvl.be/regio/brand-in-schip-met-ruim-honderd-wagens-na-uren-blussen-onder-controle-geen-gewonden/57933000.html