Gaps in training, coordination and emergency planning continue to hamper preparedness for ship fires at US ports, according to a Government Accountability Office report covered by gCaptain. The watchdog urged improvements to practical exercises and vessel response procedures, alongside legal changes addressing hazards associated with alternative-fuel vessels.
The review recorded 886 nearshore marine fires reported to the US Coast Guard between 2015 and 2025. Of those, 206 involved fatalities, injuries, damage exceeding $200,000 or a vessel’s total loss. The Coast Guard typically coordinates federal involvement, while local fire departments tackle the blaze with assistance from operators, port authorities and commercial specialists. GAO warned that this arrangement can put firefighters aboard unfamiliar ships without adequate shipboard experience.
The July 2023 fire on the Italian-flagged roll-on/roll-off vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio at Port Newark illustrated those risks. Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou and Wayne Brooks Jr. died after crews became disoriented amid smoke and an unfamiliar layout. Several others were injured. According to Coast Guard figures cited by gCaptain, the fire lasted five days and caused an estimated $23 million in damage. GAO found that the last exercise offered to responding firefighters had been nine years earlier, with only one responder having attended.
Officials across six Coast Guard sectors identified a need for vessel visits and realistic exercises, although fire chiefs said short port calls and owner approval requirements restricted access. A national task force established in January 2024 developed online training and other resources, but GAO said it still lacked guidance for a practical exercise programme as of September.
Delays in activating vessel response plans were another concern. The Grande Costa D’Avorio plan was activated roughly eight hours after the outbreak, after shore-based crews had boarded. Coast Guard investigators concluded that earlier activation might have curbed the fire and damage. Officials and commercial providers told GAO that mobilisation costs could make operators reluctant to call in specialist resources.
GAO also identified limits on requirements for some alternative-fuel nontank vessels to plan for hazardous-substance emergencies. Data it cited showed the global battery-powered fleet rising from 142 vessels in 2017 to 1,006 in 2024, with 1,584 more on order through 2027. The watchdog asked Congress to consider legislative changes and issued five Coast Guard recommendations, including clearer activation guidance, practical training and hazardous-substance response requirements for tank vessels. The Department of Homeland Security accepted all five.