Cargo ship with 800 EVs catches fire off Alaska, crew evacuated

A cargo ship carrying around 800 electric vehicles caught fire off Alaska, forcing its 22 crew members to abandon the vessel amid rising concerns over maritime EV fires.

A fire broke out aboard the Morning Midas, a Liberia-flagged cargo ship transporting approximately 3,000 vehicles—including 800 electric vehicles (EVs)—prompting the full evacuation of its 22-member crew off the coast of Alaska. The ship’s operator, Zodiac Maritime, confirmed the crew had to abandon the vessel after unsuccessful attempts to extinguish the blaze.

The incident occurred roughly 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue, with crew members evacuated by lifeboat and transferred to a nearby merchant vessel. Coast Guard aircrew and a cutter were dispatched to assist, and three ships are currently on the scene.

According to Zodiac, the fire originated on a deck loaded with EVs. EV fires are notoriously difficult to manage due to the high heat they produce and the persistent risk of reignition. The brand of the vehicles onboard has not been disclosed.

The Morning Midas had departed from Yantai, China, on 26 May and was en route to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, according to data from LSEG.

Fires on car carriers and container vessels remain a growing issue for the maritime industry. Allianz Commercial, in its 2025 Safety and Shipping Review, noted that fire incidents reached their highest level in a decade this year, attributing the rise to larger ship sizes and complex salvage and firefighting challenges.

Insurer Steamship Mutual, reportedly one of the insurers of the Morning Midas, did not respond to a request for comment.

The maritime sector remains alert to fire hazards aboard EV-carrying ships, following high-profile incidents like the 2022 fire that sank a ship loaded with luxury vehicles off the Portuguese Azores.

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