Barge Loaded With Scrap Cars Catches Fire In New Orleans

A barge moored at Zito Fleet near Mile 105 on the Lower Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish, La., just downriver from the Huey P. Long Bridge, caught fire June 24, sending a plume of smoke over the levee and into nearby neighborhoods. The barge, owned by Ingram Barge Company, was loaded with scrap automobiles.

The Port of New Orleans fireboat General Roy S. Kelley, along with Crescent Towing’s mv. Ervin S. Cooper, joined shoreside Jefferson Parish firefighters in battling the blaze. Also involved in the response was the U.S. Coast Guard, which is investigating the cause of the fire.

As a result of the firefighting efforts, the barge began to sink later that day. A barge-mounted crane on site was used to transfer the scrap cars to another barge, and containment boom was deployed to trap any pollution that potentially escaped into the river.

There were no injuries reported in connection with the fire.