Feb 22, 2022 - Economy

Fire on cargo ship carrying luxury cars subsides

Jacob Knutson

The Felicity Ace ship adrift in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 18. Photo: Portuguese Naval Forces/ Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

A fire on the Felicity Ace, a cargo ship carrying luxury cars that is adrift in the mid-Atlantic, subsided Tuesday after burning for about six days, according to AP.

Why it matters: The ship, which was destined for Rhode Island but caught fire off the coast of Portugal's Azores Islands, is expected to be towed to the Bahamas.

The big picture: It's not yet clear what sparked the fire on the cargo deck where the vehicles were stowed, but the lithium-ion batteries in some of the cars kept the fire alive and greatly complicated firefighters' suppression efforts.

A Portuguese official told AP that there is currently no risk of pollution stemming from the fire or from the fuel and oil aboard the ship.
The ship's 22 crew members were evacuated last week.

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Fire on cargo ship carrying luxury cars subsides

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