Fire Extinguished Onboard MV Fernanda Near Iceland [UPDATE]

Sunday Update (11/3/2013): An update Sunday from the Icelandic Coast Guard said that the fire onboard the MV Fernanda has been extinguished. Weather conditions have prevented fire and coast guard inspectors from boarding the vessel, however, crews will attempt to tow the ship to a more sheltered area that would allow for further assessment.

Saturday Update (11/2/2013): Icelandic Coast Guard crews continued fighting a fire onboard the MV Fernanda Friday evening into Saturday while west of Faxafloi, a bay located on the southwest coast of Iceland near the capital city of ReykjavÃk. In a statement the coast guard said that crews will continue reduce heat onboard the vessel as possible while taking steps to ensure safety and minimize any environmental impact.

The Icelandic Coast Guard vessel Thor fights a fire onboard the MV Fernanda. Image Courtesy Icelandic Coast Guard

Friday Update (11/1/2013):

The Icelandic Coast Guard patrol vessel fights a fire onboard the MV Fernanda shortly after the smoldering vessel was towed to port. Image courtesy Icelandic Coast Guard

The Icelandic Coast Guard is stilling battling a fire onboard the Ro/Ro cargo ship Fernanda and is currently taking measures to reduce the environmental impact if the ship were to sink.

In an update early Friday, the Icelandic Coast Guard said that the patrol vessel Thor was able to tow the smoldering MV Fernanda to port, however, the ship flared up again shortly afterwards. A later update from the Coast Guard said that preparations are now being made to minimize the environmental impacts from the fire and if the ship were to sink.

FULL COVERAGE: MV Fernanda Cargo Ship Fire

As part of those preparations, the Thor is currently towing the Fernanda to an area as far away from spawning areas and fishing grounds as possible and where there is a favorable wind direction that would allow for continued firefighting. The Coast Guard says that if the ship were to sink, crews are also taking targeted measures to prevent any oil from reaching land. The update adds that due to current stability issues, it is not safe to pump oil from the vessel.

An earlier update from the Coast Guard said that there is an estimated 100 tons of oil onboard the Fernanda.

The fire onboard the MV Fernanda broke out Wednesday in the ship’s engine room. All eleven crewmembers were airlifted to safety shortly afterwards.

The 75-meter vessel is registered in the Dominican Republic and was built in 1981, according to the Icelandic Coast Guard.