The car carrier Morning Midas was on a voyage from China to Mexico when it caught fire on Tuesday in the mid-Pacific, some 300 miles southwest of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. The ship was carrying 3,048 vehicles, including over 700 fully electric or hybrid electric vehicles.

“Smoke was initially seen emanating from a deck carrying electric vehicles,” reported a spokesperson for Zodiac Maritime, the manager of the Liberian-flagged car carrier. “The crew immediately initiated emergency firefighting procedures using the vessel’s onboard fire suppression systems. However, despite their efforts, the situation could not be brought under control.”

The fire’s intensity ultimately forced all 22 crew members to abandon ship.  In consultation with the United States Coast Guard, the crew disembarked the vessel using its lifeboat. The Coast Guard reports that three merchant ships were directed to the scene and that the containership Cosco Hellas rescued the crew. They are all reported to be in good condition. 

A spokeswoman for the Coast Guard said that it was allowing the fire to burn out and watching from a safe distance because of the risk that lithium-ion batteries in the cars could explode. 

The lithium batteries used in EVs can fail due to mechanical, chemical, or thermal abuse, leading to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway, where the heat generated becomes self-sustaining, causing temperatures to soar and triggering a dangerous chain reaction. Once thermal runaway starts, it can be almost impossible to stop, often resulting in explosions and fires.

EV fires are notoriously hard to put out, resisting the effects of traditional foam-based fire extinguishers and small amounts of water. This is because battery fires spread through the excessive accumulation of heat from one battery cell to another, and from one battery to the next, Rich Meier of Florida-based Meier Fire Investigation told the Washington Post.

Splash reports that efforts to bring the burning Morning Midas under control are facing a significant delay, with salvage teams not expected to reach the drifting vessel until Monday, nearly a full week after the crew abandoned ship.

Zodiac Maritime confirmed that it has appointed Florida-based Resolve Marine to lead the salvage and firefighting response. However, due to the remote location of the incident — approximately 300 miles southwest of Adak Island in the Aleutian chain — the first tug with specialists and equipment is not expected to arrive until June 9.

“The ability to monitor other onboard conditions is limited,” Zodiac said, noting that while the Morning Midas remains afloat and trackable via satellite, the fire remains active. A Coast Guard aerial inspection confirmed that smoke continues to rise from the vessel, though there have been no signs of marine pollution.

An additional firefighting tug with ocean towage capacity is being arranged to support the operation.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.