LPG Tanker Fire Closes Houston Ship Channel

A fire broke out aboard a liquid gas carrier around 9:45 a.m. Monday, which caused the closure of about 2 miles of the upper ship channel from Houston Ship Channel, near Greensport Dock West, the US Coast Guard informed.

The vessel has been identified as Liberian-flagged tanker Navigator Europa as the tankship was onloading liquid ethylene/C2 at Targa’s Galena Park LPG export terminal.

It took the Coast Guard and other agencies around three hours to extinguish the fire and reopen the channel to traffic.

“All personnel are accounted for and on scene air monitoring has not detected any further threat from the ethylene that was being transferred,” the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard Station Houston response boats and Port of Houston fire boats responded immediately to secure the area and suppress the fire, which was reported to have come from the compressor room.

Additional fire and hazardous materials response teams have been deployed from Harris County, Houston, Galena Park and San Jacinto to ensure the safety of the public and the environment.

The 17,004 DWT ship is owned by Navigator Europa L.L.C. and was built in 2014.