Fire Breaks Out on Dole Colombia at Port of Wilmington

A fire broke out in the engine room of the banana-carrying, Bahamian-flagged reefer vessel *Dole Colombia *while it was berthed at the Port of Wilmington in the US on August 10. All crew members were reported safe, with no injuries recorded.

Smoke was observed coming from the stacks of the Dole Colombia, while the vessel’s captain reported that a generator inside the engine room had caught fire. The incident prompted an immediate response from the Wilmington Fire Department. Additional firefighting units from a nearby department were called to the scene to assist with efforts to extinguish the blaze.

The captain later confirmed that the engine room had been sealed off and the vessel’s fixed firefighting system had been activated, discharging into the compartment to contain the fire.

The blaze was subsequently brought under control and firefighters continued to monitor temperatures around the engine room and remained ready with hoses to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas of the vessel.