While combating a fire on an Italian cargo ship in New Jersey, two firefighters perished after being trapped.
On Wednesday night at around 9.30 p.m., a fire started on the Grande Costa d’Avorio, which was berthed at Port Newark. According to the Grimaldi Group, the ship’s owner, it was laden with roughly 1,200 vehicles, including 157 containers and new and used automobiles, trucks, and vans.
As crew men were loading the vehicles onto the ship’s tenth deck, a fire broke out.
Augusto Acabou, 45, who served the Newark Fire Department for nine years, called for help, said Chief Rufus Jackson. Shortly after, 16-year firefighter Wayne Brooks Jr, 49, got trapped. Both of them died.
Neither of them hesitated in responding to the fire on the ship with at least a dozen decks, which they ‘had not trained’ to do, said Mayor Ras Baraka, according to The New York Times.
‘These were two of our best,’ Baraka said.
Emergency responders discovered that five to seven vehicles were ablaze. The fire spread to two overhead decks rapidly and continued burning into Thursday morning.
‘This is the ultimate, ultimate sacrifice of the fire service, to lose a brother or sister of this profession,’ said Jackson, according to CBS News.
‘I ask that each and every one of us – not only the ones who are standing in front of me, but the citizens of Newark, the communities throughout our country – fire service is not just a municipality, it’s a brotherhood, a sisterhood throughout the country, and I ask that each of them pray for our brothers.’
Five other firefighters were hurt, including one who is at a hospital in critical condition, CBS News reported.
The ship was not carrying electric cars or hazardous materials, according to the company.
Baraka said the ship built in Europe did not have equipment that was compatible with the 2.5-inch hose lines in Newark.