Salvage Tug Arrives as Car Carrier ‘Morning Midas’ Continues to Burn Off Alaska Coast

The Coast Guard continues to respond to a vessel fire aboard the car carrier Morning Midas, located approximately 220 miles south of Adak, Alaska, as the first salvage vessel arrives on scene.

The incident began on Tuesday, June 3, when smoke was detected on a deck carrying electric vehicles during the vessel’s voyage from Yantai, China to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. Despite immediate emergency response efforts and activation of onboard fire suppression systems, the fire’s intensity forced all 22 crew members to abandon ship.

The crew was safely evacuated via lifeboat and rescued by the merchant vessel Cosco Hellas, with no injuries reported.

The tug vessel Gretchen Dunlap has now arrived with salvage personnel and begun a full assessment of conditions. Two additional vessels are expected to arrive within the next two weeks. Zodiac Maritime, the vessel’s manager, has appointed Resolve Marine to lead salvage operations.

Photos taken by the Coast Guard on Sunday show the fire, which appeared to have started towards vessel’s stern, has now burned through the entire vessel.

The 600-foot Pure Car and Truck Carrier was transporting 3,159 vehicles, including 65 fully electric vehicles and 681 partial hybrid electric vehicles. The vessel’s fuel stores include approximately 350 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil.

Recent Coast Guard overflights have observed no signs of pollution, and the vessel is maintaining stability despite the ongoing fire. The Morning Midas was last reported located approximately 218 miles south of Amatignak Island, roughly 11 miles within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.

Weather conditions are being closely monitored, with recent reports indicating 45-50 knot winds and 6-foot seas. The vessel is drifting northeast at approximately 1.8 miles per hour.

“The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority,” said Rear Adm. Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District. “We are working closely with Zodiac Maritime to ensure a safe and effective plan to address the fire and mitigate any potential impacts to the environment”.

The Liberian-flagged Morning Midas, built in 2006, departed China on May 26 and was originally scheduled to arrive in Mexico on June 15. The Coast Guard continues to work with Zodiac Maritime and Resolve Marine, providing expertise to ensure their salvage and safety plans are as effective as possible.

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