Fire Continues to Burn on Timber Ship Off Sweden

Fire on board the Almirante Storni off Sweden is expected to continue for several more days.

The fire on board the MV Almirante Storni carrying a cargo of timber continues to burn at an anchorage off of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Firefighting efforts using two large Swedish Coast Guard ships along with private tugs hired by the shipowner continues amid deteriorating.

Although the fire continues to burn with “undiminished strength,” the flames are reported to be contained to the forward portion of the ship and limited to the timber cargo and not the ship itself.

Weather conditions reportedly deteriorated on Monday night, complicating the firefighting efforts.

Photos: Fire Burns on MV Almirante Storni Off Sweden

A spokesperson for the Coast Guard said the rescue effort is expected to continue for several days with few options available for extinguishing the blaze.

The fire broke out in the ship’s cargo of timber on Saturday and has been burning ever since as the ship remains at anchor off the Swedish island of Vinga.

“It is worrying that the fire has not been extinguished, but it has not spread and the ship’s condition is still good. Our efforts are therefore not fruitless, we take small steps forward while we plan for and prepare for the situation to turn around and escalate,” says Jonas Holmstrand, who is leading the Coast Guard’s effort.

The ship’s 17 crew members remain on board the vessel as firefighting continues. The Coast Guard said both the crew members and fuel tanks are at the ship’s stern, while the fire is burning closer towards the bow.

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