What Can Two-Car Carrier Fires Teach Us About Fighting Fires Onboard?
April 20, 2025

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner — discusses the electrical vehicle fire onboard the car carrier MV Delphine in Zeebrugge, Belgium on April 14, 2025, versus that on board MV Grande Costa D'Avorio in Newark in July 2023 and led to the death of Newark firefighters.

#shipfire #delphine #grandcostadavorio #zeebrugge #newark #carcarrier #shipping

00:00 Introduction
03:28 Fire on MV Delphine in Zeebrugge
15:17 Fire on MV Grand Costa d'Avorio
22:43 Comparison

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Brand aan boord van roro 'Delphine' in Zeebrugge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sywT51RApGw

RoRo Ship Delphine Catches Fire with 60 EVs Onboard
https://youtu.be/f8s3mSNdZSc?si=Iz7bAuFvfyzbHHRe

Fire Erupts on Car Carrier with Electric Vehicles in Belgian Port of Zeebrugge
https://gcaptain.com/fire-erupts-on-car-carrier-with-electric-vehicles-in-belgian-port-of-zeebrugge/

Major EV Fire Breaks Out Aboard Ro/Ro at Zeebrugge
https://maritime-executive.com/article/major-ev-fire-breaks-out-aboard-ro-ro-at-zeebrugge

Burnt-out hold 'Delphine' carefully opened (+update)
https://www.flows.be/scheepvaart/2025/04/uitgebrand-ruim-delphine-voorzichtig-geopend/?freebie=03a6ab976687835de120d28e8fb5b07c

What does the inside of a RORO car ship look like?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfEL-mW3eDk

ICS Fire Response
https://www.ics-shipping.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Fire-Response-High-Level-Guidelines.pdf

NTSB: Inadequate Firefighting Training Led to Deaths in Newark Ship Fire
https://gcaptain.com/ntsb-inadequate-firefighting-training-led-to-deaths-in-newark-ship-fire/

NTSB Recommends Improving Preparedness of Land-Based Firefighters for Marine Vessel Fires
https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20250415.aspx

Opinion: What Two Fires In 2020 Should Have Warned Us About in Port of Newark
https://gcaptain.com/opinion-what-two-fires-in-2020-should-have-warned-us-about-in-port-of-newark/

A Brief Look Back at Recent Car Carrier Fires
https://gcaptain.com/a-brief-look-back-at-recent-car-carrier-fires/

NTSB Board Meeting – Grande Costa D’Avorio Car Carrier Fire
https://youtu.be/eO3PUl3z-u4?si=F9s5b7WFCGLP1cwd