This many firefighters put out local cargo ship fire

ASHTABULA, Ohio (WJW) — It took 21 firefighters ten hours to extinguish a massive fire on a huge commercial vessel that caught fire in Ashtabula Harbor on Friday, according to Captain Stephen Chase with the Ashtabula Fire Department.

The Coast Guard said the Canadian vessel dubbed the “Cuyahoga” caught fire just before 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Coast Guard Ninth District.

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“The fire largely involved the material handling equipment used in off-loading cargo from
the ships holds and the primary component of this equipment consists of massive rubber conveyor belts that run the length of the vessel.” Chase said.

“The Cuyahoga was in-port undergoing repairs and had both crew members and ship repair workers, totaling 39 people, on board at the time of the fire. Crews verified that all people who had been on-board at the time of the fire were accounted for and uninjured,” Chase said.

The Coast Guard also deployed boats and helicopters.

The incident remains under investigation by the Ashtabula Fire Department, the United States
Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to Chase.

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