Tug reports fire on barge, emergency services tackle scrap inferno

A burning barge laden with scrap metal has been towed away from a main shipping channel in Delaware Bay as firefighters and vessels from multiple agencies tackle the blaze.

At 08:20, on 10 March, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received an emergency call from tug Douglas J, reporting that the barge it was towing was on fire. 

The US Coast Guard deployed assets from its stations in Philadelphia, Cape May and its air station in Atlantic City to assist with the incident response.

According to the US Coast Guard (USCG), the barge has been towed around two nautical miles off Maurice River Cove, New Jersey, to remove the threat it poses to other ships.

The USCG said it has established a safety zone, broadcast a warning notice to mariners and is mitigating the risks that the fire poses to the port.

The coast guard is also working with several fire departments, with firefighting boats tackling the inferno.

The USCG said it is investigating the reasons behind the marine accident. So far, no injuries have been reported.

Other agencies involved in the response so far are: Wilmington Fire Department, Delaware City Fire Department, Philadelphia Fire Department, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management and Delaware Emergency Management.