Hong Kong-Flagged Tanker Hit By Second Fire in Months Off New York

The disabled Hong Kong-flagged tanker Feng Huang AO (aka Amber Bay) sits at anchor off the coast of New York City, Oct. 8, 2018. The freighter had become disabled after a fire broke out in their engine room causing major damage to machinery. U.S. Coast Guard Photo

The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating the response to an engine room fire aboard the Hong Kong-flagged tanker Amber Bay which broke out as the ship was departing the New York Harbor area on Wednesday night.

The fire comes just a few months after the same tanker suffered a significant engine room fire off the U.S. Northeast.

In Wednesday’s incident, the Coast Guard reports that the 479-foot asphalt carrier with 22 crew aboard had a fire ignite in the engine room shortly before 8:00 p.m. The crew was able to quickly extinguish the fire using their installed fire suppression system.

At 8:05 p.m., the crew alerted Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector New York about the engine room fire and that the vessel was disabled approximately three miles south of Breezy Point.

Coast Guard Cutter Shrike, an 87-foot Patrol Boat, and crewmembers from Station Sandy Hook aboard a 47-foot Motor Life Boat were dispatched to the incident along with NYPD and FDNY marine units. FDNY personnel boarded the vessel and entered the engine room to ensure the fire was extinguished.

A safety zone is now in place and a plan is currently being developed to salvage the stricken vessel. At this time, there are no reported injuries or pollution.

The incident comes after the Amber Bay (aka Feng Huang AO with IMO number 9764520) suffered what the U.S. Coast Guard described previously as a ‘significant’ engine room fire that damaged multiple systems off Nantucket Island on October 5. That fire was extinguished using the ship’s installed carbon dioxide fire suppression system, but the fire disabled the ship’s electrical generators and main engine.

Salvage tugs ended up towing the vessel to New York for repairs.

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