The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Monday an out of control lithium-ion battery fire on a cargo ship is out after days of burning off the coast of Alaska.
The vessel is now heading for Dutch Harbor, one of the nation’s busiest shipping ports.
AP reports the 19 crew members aboard the 410-foot cargo ship, Genius Star XI, were uninjured. Technicians from the Salvage and Marine Firefighting team remain on the ship to ensure the fire doesn’t return, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release.
“This protected anchorage … will allow the vessel to remain stable, minimizing risk of any re-flash of the fire as we continue our response,” Capt. Chris Culpepper said in the press release, which said an investigation into the fire’s origins will begin once response efforts wrap up.
Genius Star XI was carrying nearly 2,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries, which contain highly flammable materials, from Vietnam to San Diego.
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The crew alerted the Coast Guard early Thursday morning to the fire, after pumping carbon dioxide into hold No. 1 — where the blaze began — and sealing it, fearing an explosion.
Arriving Friday, Genius Star XI was initially kept two miles from shore to mitigate the risks of toxic gases produced by the fire to the community and environment while responders worked to extinguish the flames, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Mike Salerno said in an email to the Associated Press.
There have been no oil leaks associated with the fire, according to the ship’s owners, Wisdom Marine Group.
Lithium-ion batteries have long been the subject of controversy with critics questioning their safety.
Last year the Washington Post reported in an op-ed titled “Tesla’s Big Batteries Aren’t the Fire Problem. Lithium Is,” that Americans should be questioning whether lithium-ion powerpacks should be used for applications such as electric vehicles.
The piece argued the science of lithium-ion batteries make them inherently dangerous.