BALTIMORE—The W Sapphire, a bulk carrier, caught fire in the Patapsco River near Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday night. The ship, which is registered in Liberia, had just left the Port of Baltimore at 5:55 p.m. and was on its way to Port Louis, Mauritius. It was expected to arrive there on September 23.
Baltimore city officials and police said that the fire started in the area under the deck, which sent up a huge cloud of smoke. A video of the event on social media revealed what looked like an explosion, although the Baltimore City Fire Department has not confirmed that an explosion caused the fire. CBS News said that local officials said that none of the 23 crew members on board were hurt.
Maritime radar data shows that the ship is a bulk carrier with the call sign D5AF7, the IMO number 9605645, and the MMSI number 636023364. The ship is a Kamsarmax-type bulk carrier that is 751 feet long and was built in 2012. Tugboats have towed the ship to an approved anchorage place, and the fire has been put out. The U.S. Coast Guard is looking into what caused the event.
The fire happened in the same river where the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell down on March 26, 2024, after being hit by the container ship MV Dali. The bridge fell down, killing six construction workers and making port operations very difficult for months. It is still being torn down and rebuilt. This most recent event, however less serious, brings up additional concerns regarding the safety of shipping in the port’s canal.