Cargo Ship With 3,000 Vehicles Catches Fire Near Alaska

A cargo vessel transporting about 3,000 vehicles, including around 800 EVs, was abandoned by its crew in the Pacific Ocean after a fire broke out onboard, according to a statement issued by Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s operator. The incident occurred about 480km southwest of Adak, Alaska, says the US Coast Guard.

The ship, Morning Midas, is flagged under Liberia and departed from Yantai, China, on May 26. It had also made stops at the Chinese ports of Nansha and Shanghai before heading toward its destination in Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, based on tracking data from LSEG and Bloomberg.

“The crew initiated fire suppression protocols, but the fire could not be contained,” reports Zodiac Maritime. The smoke was first observed rising from a deck loaded with electric vehicles. The 22 crew members were evacuated by lifeboat and transferred to a nearby merchant vessel with the support of the US Coast Guard.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the ownership of the vehicles onboard has not been disclosed. A spokesperson for Zodiac Maritime declined to comment on the vehicle brands transported.

EV-related fires have become a growing concern due to the complexity of extinguishing lithium-ion battery blazes. These fires can generate intense heat and are susceptible to reignition even after being suppressed. 

The US Coast Guard confirms it had deployed both aerial crews and a cutter ship to the site. As of the latest update, three response vessels were present at the scene, and specialized response teams were being organized to support salvage and firefighting operations.

“The reality is the risk remains significant due to the size of these ships and the complexities involved in firefighting and salvage,” says Allianz Commercial in its 2025 Safety and Shipping Review report. The insurer adds that fire-related incidents across vessel segments reached the highest level in a decade as of 2024.

In 2022, a ship transporting 4,000 luxury vehicles — including models from Porsche and Bentley — caught fire and eventually sank off the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. In another case, a vessel carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles burned near the Dutch coast in 2023.

“The growing demand for lithium-ion batteries, including those used in EVs, presents a new challenge for the global shipping industry, especially considering the value and volatility of cargo aboard large car carriers,” says Allianz Commercial. 

In response to these risks, maritime safety organizations have begun issuing specific guidance on managing EV transport. A maritime safety group released fire management protocols in 2024, aimed at improving preparedness for incidents involving electric vehicles at sea.