A cargo vessel carrying about 3,000 vehicles, including hundreds of EVs, caught fire off Alaska’s coast on Tuesday, June 3. Flames grew to the point of forcing the crew to abandon ship. Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s operator, said the 22 crew members evacuated safely after they failed to put out the fire.

The cargo ship, Morning Midas, burned about 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard launched a response, coordinating the rescue and sending a cutter and aircraft to the scene. A nearby merchant vessel picked up the stranded crew after they launched lifeboats, the SABC shared.

Zodiac, a London-based ship management company, said smoke first rose from the ship’s deck, loaded with EVs. The crew tried to stop the fire before evacuating. The Liberia-flagged vessel left Yantai, China, on May 26 and was heading for Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico.

Three merchant vessels stayed near the Morning Midas to help while response crews and the Coast Guard monitored the situation.

Fires on ships carrying EVs have raised growing concern in the shipping industry

In 2022, the Felicity Ace sank near the Azores after catching fire with nearly 4,000 vehicles onboard, including several luxury EVs. That incident caused major financial losses and spotlighted the risks tied to lithium-ion batteries.

According to Allianz’s 2023 shipping safety report, vessel fires reached a 10-year high in 2022, with over 200 incidents. Fire ranked as the second top cause of ship losses. Allianz warned that lithium-ion batteries pose serious challenges. When these batteries overheat, they can enter thermal runaway, ignite easily, and resist conventional firefighting.

No one reported injuries from the Morning Midas fire. Zodiac and the Coast Guard continue to assess the situation, while insurers and ship salvage crews prepare for what could be a complicated and costly recovery.