Firefighters and federal authorities continued working Saturday to contain a hazardous-materials fire aboard the container ship ONE Henry Hudson after an explosion and onboard fire forced the evacuation of all crew members at the Port of Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and port officials.
The incident occurred Friday at the Yusen Container Terminal in San Pedro. LAFD said the ship experienced an explosion that disrupted the vessel’s power and crane operations, prompting emergency crews to respond to smoke and flames involving container stacks on the deck. All crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries have been reported.
LAFD confirmed that hazardous materials were identified in several cargo bays, requiring firefighters to operate in protective gear with self-contained breathing apparatus. Because of hazardous conditions, the department said no personnel were being allowed below deck, and marine units continued cooling the ship’s exterior using firefighting boats positioned alongside the vessel.
Television footage captured by ABC’s Los Angeles affiliate showed LAFD fireboats directing continuous streams of water onto the ship’s hull and over burning containers.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for San Pedro and Wilmington due to the hazardous materials involved. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advised residents in affected areas to stay indoors with windows closed and ventilation systems turned off. The city said air quality monitoring was ongoing.
The Port of Los Angeles confirmed that four of the port’s seven container terminals suspended operations as a result of the fire and that a waterside safety zone had been established around the vessel. The ship remains berthed at Yusen Container Terminal.
The ONE Henry Hudson, sailing under a Panama flag, arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday after departing Tokyo’s Shinagawa port, according to vessel-tracking data cited by Reuters.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said in a post on X that state agencies were coordinating with local authorities to support first responders. LAFD reported that more than 100 firefighters were involved in the suppression and hazmat response.
As of Saturday morning, cooling and fire-containment operations continued, with authorities offering no timeline for when the vessel would be declared safe. The cause of the explosion and fire remains under investigation.