NTSB Identifies Training Deficiencies Prior to Fatal Newark Cargo Ship Blaze

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board remarked on Tuesday that the Newark fire department’s inadequate training and lack of knowledge regarding marine firefighting during a tragic cargo ship fire at the East Coast’s largest port in July 2023 represented a significant “failure of leadership.”

The board convened in Washington to present its findings on the fire aboard the Italian-flagged Grande Costa D’Avorio, which burned for nearly a week and led to the loss of two Newark firefighters’ lives.

In addition to criticizing Newark’s fire department, the board revealed that the fire started when cargo loaders improperly used a Jeep that was not intended for the task to position vehicles. They also discovered that a carbon dioxide fire suppression system proved ineffective because the garage door needed to be closed for it to work effectively, which could only be done from inside the ship, where the fire raged in cramped conditions, with vehicles packed as closely as 4 inches (10 centimeters) apart.

“I hope the leadership of Newark fire department is paying attention. This was not merely a communication breakdown. It was a true failure of leadership,” stated NTSB chairperson Jennifer Homendy.

Investigators for the board expressed that the department’s chiefs “put firefighters at unnecessary risk,” indicating that first responders lacked sufficient familiarity with marine firefighting while also failing to devise a fire control plan for the ship.

“The staff believes that Newark Fire Division responders should not have entered that space,” said investigator Bart Barnum on Tuesday.

Barnum emphasized that the necessity for enhanced training was the primary conclusion he drew from this incident.

“Proper training is essential when responding to marine vessel fires,” he stated. “In this case, if they had received adequate training, they should never have entered the ship.”

Messages seeking comments were sent to the Newark Fire Division and Ports America, the company responsible for overseeing cargo operations at the port.

The fire began as the vessel was being loaded with approximately 920 mostly used vehicles destined for West Africa. Port workers, using a Jeep Wrangler to push non-running vehicles into the ship, reported hearing “clunking noises,” and another operator observed “flaming fireballs dripping” from the Jeep, according to the board’s findings. By that stage, the Jeep had already pushed 37 vehicles onboard, investigators disclosed.

Federal regulations stipulate that any vehicle used to push others onto a ship must meet specific operational standards. The Jeep did not comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements and was operating beyond its intended capacity, according to board investigators.

“It might have been the most readily available vehicle,” one investigator speculated on Tuesday. “Perhaps they disregarded OSHA mandates on its utilization — merely speculating.”

The fire started on the 10th deck of the 12-deck ship, and although the ship’s crew activated the carbon dioxide suppression system, it required the exterior garage doors to be closed for effective operation. Consequently, the door on the top deck remained open because it could only be closed from inside, where the fire was rampant.

Newark firefighters quickly responded but became disoriented within the vessel, as dark smoke filled the air.

“We cannot find our way out,” the board cited one firefighter as saying. “We are lost.”

Newark firefighters Augusto “Augie” Acabou and Wayne “Bear” Brooks Jr. tragically lost their lives. Firefighting boats ultimately sprayed water at the ship for several days to extinguish the blaze.

Board members noted that family members of the fallen firefighters attended the meeting, and they expressed their heartfelt condolences.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages Newark’s port, depends on local fire departments to assist in fires as it does not have its own firefighting unit.

Authorities previously avoided addressing whether firefighters should have risked their safety to extinguish the flames since no lives appeared to be in jeopardy, with the ship’s 28 crew members being safe and accounted for. Fritz Frage, Newark’s public safety director at the time, stated that ongoing dialogues about training are in motion between the city and the port authority, though he did not provide further details.

By Mike Catalini