The Port of Los Angeles reported November 27 that, under the leadership of the Unified Command, crews are preparing to return the ONE Henry Hudson vessel to Yusen Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, as the fire on board has been fully contained. This marks a critical step toward the next phase of response operations, where cargo and waste will be offloaded by longshore labor and salvage crews. 

On November 26, crews assessed the vessel’s stability to prepare for its transit back to port, where its cargo and water accumulated from firefighting efforts will be safely offloaded and removed. Longshore labor crews completed lashing of the ship’s cargo Wednesday afternoon while the ship was at anchorage. 

A safety zone will remain in effect as the vessel transits back to port. Firefighting assets will transit alongside the ship and will remain on standby once the vessel arrives at its berth. 

“The vessel’s safe transit and return to port is a testament to the continued partnership of this Unified Command and all of the supporting agencies who have been working around the clock since the start of this incident,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Stacey Crecy, the response’s Incident Commander. “Our top priority is continuing to ensure the safety of this operation through its completion.”

The Port Authority said that no firefighting water has been discharged from the vessel. As the ONE Henry Hudson operates its onboard fire pumps to supply its stand-by firefighting hoses, surplus clean sea water in the system is actively routed overboard to relieve excess pressure on the system and is isolated from contact with any containers or ship’s cargo. The port said this is a standard operating procedure for most commercial vessels operating in the port. All used firefighting water is being contained inside the cargo hold of the vessel. The used firefighting water inside the vessel will be offloaded under coast guard supervision and transported via barge or truck to a waste reception facility.“

Air quality continues to be monitored 24/7 to assess any impact to response crews and surrounding communities. Air monitoring will continue throughout the operations to include transit of the vessel back to port. Real-time air quality updates can be found on the Port’s air quality monitoring site, here.

The Coast Guard and Port of Los Angeles Police Department continues to enforce the safety zone around the vessel. A temporary flight restriction is still in place. 

The Coast Guard and National Safety Transportation Board are investigating the cause of the fire. 

The Unified Command consists of the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Los Angeles Police Department and a representative of the container ship. The Los Angeles Fire Department is still supporting and standing by to assist when needed. 

A Joint Information Center has been established and can be reached at (310) 732-6479 or [email protected]. Or go to X @USCGSoCal.