Investigative hearings set to open into cargo ship fire that killed 2 New Jersey firefighters
ABC News
Federal investigators are set to open several days of hearings starting Wednesday into a dockside cargo ship fire that killed two New Jersey firefighters last summer at Port Newark
UNION, N.J. -- Federal investigators will begin several days of hearings on Wednesday into a dockside cargo ship fire that killed two New Jersey firefighters last summer at one of the busiest U.S. seaports.
The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the July 5 blaze in which the Italian-owned Grande Costa d’Avorio caught fire in Port Newark. The vessel was carrying more than 1,200 automobiles.
Newark fire Captains Augusto “Augie” Acabou and Wayne “Bear” Brooks Jr. died while fighting the blaze.
A preliminary investigation by the Coast Guard and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health indicated that the Newark Fire Department “had little to no maritime firefighting training, experience or familiarization with cargo ships of any type,” according to a Coast Guard safety alert issued in November.
On Tuesday, Commander Christian Barger, chief of inspections and investigations for the Fifth Coast Guard District, said 13 witnesses will testify during hearings, which will run through Jan. 18. Those testifying will include crew members from the ship, dockside cargo handlers, and firefighters.
