CUYAHOGA

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Investigations into fire moving into new phase

The nvestigations into the fire on the 'Cuyahoga' in Ashtabula Harbor on March 15 were expected to move into a new phase next week, according to an Ashtabula Fire Department Invesigator. The Ashtabula Fire Department, the United States Coast Guard, and the National Transportation Safety Board all have jurisdiction in the case, as well as investigators from the ship's owners and insurance companies of all the entities involved.The vessel was docked for work at the time of the fire, with about two dozen workers doing repairs and another 15 crew members on board preparing to take the vessel to Erie for more work. At that time, a cargo hold caught fire. The first step after bringing the fire under control was to remove the 400,000 gallons of water and foam that were used to extinguish the fire.

Fire left portions of ship unscathed

The fire on the 'Cuyahoga' in Ashtabula Harbor on the afternoon of March 15 caused severe damage, but large sections of the ship remained unscathed, as well as six other ships in port. The Ashtabula Fire Department was alerted at around 1:20 p.m. Black smoke was billowing from the cargo hold when firefighters arrived on the scene. A conveyer-belt system, which was used to unload the ship, caught fire as well. More than 20 firefighters from Ashtabula, Ashtabula Township, Saybrook Township and Geneva battled the blaze. There were 24 workers on board and 15 crew members were preparing the vessel to be moved to Erie for more repair work. The vessel was docked in the western portion of the property northeast of the Ashtabula Lift Bridge. Firefighters arriving on the scene made their way through the property to get close enough to the ship to fight the blaze. An Ashtabula ladder truck set up on the western side of the ship to fight the blaze and fire engines from numerous area companies responded to the fire. The conveyor belt continued to burn well into the evening. By 6 p.m., 350,000 gallons of water had been used to battle the blaze. 21 firefighters from the Ashtabula, Saybrook, Geneva and Ashtabula Township fire departments used 300,000 gallons of water and 75,000 gallons of environmentally-friendly foam. The fire was finally put out at 11.25 p.m. A salvage company was expected to help remove the water and figure out how to dispose of the material. The cause of the fire was under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Natioan Safety Department were also investigating the incident. Report with photos: https://www.firerescue1.com/fireground-operations/firefighters-from-4-ohio-fds-battle-cargo-ship-blaze

Fire during welding works

Multiple fire departments and U.S. Coast Guard personnel fought a blaze aboard the 'Cuyahoga', docked in Ashtabula for winter lay-up, in the afternoon of March 15, 2024. There were no reported injuries. The fire started at 2 p.m., and it took three hours to put it out. The fire was caused by welding works. Sparks ignited paint on the inside of the cargo hold, and the fire spread to the main deck, and the unloading belt caught fire. The fire was extinguished by late afternoon.