Fire aboard ONE Henry Hudson triggers large-scale emergency at Port of Los Angeles

A significant fire aboard the 8,212-TEU container vessel ONE Henry Hudson forced an extensive emergency response at the Port of Los Angeles late Friday, leading authorities to issue a temporary shelter-in-place order for nearby neighbourhoods.

The blaze was first detected below deck at around 6:38 p.m., with early indications suggesting an electrical malfunction as the source. The fire quickly advanced through several lower compartments, and a mid-deck explosion disrupted the ship’s internal power systems, shutting down lighting and halting crane operations.

Nearly 200 firefighters were deployed as part of a combined land-and-water operation. Fireboats worked from the harbour while HazMat teams monitored air quality due to the presence of hazardous materials identified in multiple container bays.

All 23 crew members were safely taken off the vessel, and authorities reported no injuries.

By early Saturday, tugboats had moved the ship to an anchorage near Angel’s Gate Lighthouse, enabling continued firefighting and cooling operations away from port infrastructure. The Port of Los Angeles has since withdrawn its shelter-in-place advisory, and four of the port’s seven container terminals have returned to service.