The salvage job to remove the car carrier Golden Ray that rolled on its side as it departed the Port of Brunswick, GA, in September 2019 while carrying about 4,200 vehicles, was originally planned to take around eight weeks and to be finished by last Christmas. Now, months behind schedule, the project continues to face new challenges. Salvors using cutting torches sparked a significant fire last Friday that wasn’t extinguished until Monday. There were no reported injuries to the salvors or firefighters.
Marine Log reports that naval architects and response engineers are assessing the fire’s impact on the structure of the remaining wreck and the custom-fabricated lifting structures welded to its top. Meantime, wreck removal personnel continue to assess, repair, and replace equipment on the VB-10000 heavy lift vessel.
The ship is being cut into eight blocks by the heavy-lift catamaran barge VB-10,000, nicknamed the “Golden Arches,” the largest heavy-lift vessel ever built in the United States. The cutting itself is being done by dragging a heavy chain through the hull structure. The process has been slowed as heavier steel sections of the hull have been encountered. The salvors were using 6-foot cutting torches to “pre-cut” a notch to guide the cutting chain away from the thicker sections of steel when the ship caught fire. The burners were reportedly using fire suppression techniques, which apparently proved to be inadequate.
The fire was primarily fed by burning cars inside the ship. Significant quantities of melted plastic blobs have been reported to have washed ashore on local beaches from burning vehicles.
Not surprised of the fire. I am surprised it didnt catch fire back when it rolled over. All those lead acid batteries. They are made to be safe when kept with the base down.