M2329

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31st March 2025

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Container fire

Initial Report

While on passage, a container full of charcoal spontaneously ignited and a severe fire ensued.

A special exemption existed at the time of the incident, meaning that the cargo did not need to be declared dangerous goods. This significantly delayed efforts to identify the location of other charcoal-filled containers when the fire erupted.

Thanks to the crew’s swift and decisive actions and exceptional teamwork during the emergency, personal injuries were prevented, and the ship sustained no structural damage. The crew’s coordinated efforts in boundary cooling and fire suppression were critical despite the challenges posed by the fully enclosed containers, which made firefighting operations more difficult.

CHIRP Comment

This report echoes a similar incident (M2253) published by CHIRP in 2024. CINS (the Cargo Incident Notification System) has published their Guidelines for the Safe Carriage of Charcoal in Containers which is available online.

Charcoal is categorised as ‘UN1361 CARBON animal or vegetable origin’ and presents unique risks because it can spontaneously ignite if not stored or packed correctly.

From 1 January 2026, charcoal must always be labelled as dangerous goods, and transitional arrangements commenced from 1 January 2025. It is worth noting that 68 container fires were reported from 2015 to 2022, highlighting the potential risk to all carriers.

While this new requirement will promote the safer carriage of charcoal in containers, shippers must still exercise due diligence to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled before loading. Carriers are encouraged to review their cargo management and know-your-customer procedures. Ship management and chartering departments are crucial in ensuring that shippers comply with the new regulations.

The crew’s ability to prevent this fire from escalating largely depended on strong onboard emergency preparedness, which is founded on a robust safety culture within the company. This report highlights the outcomes of practical training provided both on board and by the company.

Key Issues relating to this report

Local Practices— When packing charcoal into containers, strong local oversight and supervision is required to ensure that the risks of oxidisation and spontaneous ignition are minimised.

Alerting- Charcoal must now be declared a dangerous good. The local exemption has been revoked.

Situational Awareness— Packers are encouraged to provide photographs of loaded containers to shipping companies to improve their situational awareness of container contents in the event of an emergency.