Fire Breaks Out on board Tanker in Kirkdale

A fire broke out in one of the engine rooms of a Cyprus-flagged tanker at Canada Dock, on the river Mersey this morning, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service informed.

The people on board the 4,139-dwt Julia have been evacuated, the firefighting service added.

Five fire appliances from Kirkdale, Crosby, Liverpool City, Croxteth and Kensington community fire stations were sent to the scene along with the Command Support Unit. The Search and Rescue Team also responded to the call-out.

The fire was extinguished by 7.56am.

“The ship’s crew activated a CO2 extinguisher system that suppressed the fire. Firefighters in breathing apparatus entered the ship to determine the source of the fire and check the fire had not spread any further. There was a lot of smoke in the engine room of the ship.

“The ventilation system on the ship helped to clear the smoke from the engine room while firefighters cooled the engine casings with water and made sure the fire was extinguished,” Station Manager Andy Groom said.

The suspected cause of the fire was mechanical failure of one of the ship’s engine.

The vessel, built in 2009, is operated by Piraeus-based Rose Shipping.