Towboat Fire Closes Portion Of Ohio River

The Coast Guard closed the Ohio River near Belleview, Ky., for several hours November 9 because of a fire aboard the towing vessel Capt. Kirby Dupuis.

The towing vessel was in transit when the engineroom reportedly caught on fire, the Coast Guard said. The crew was able to extinguish the fire with its fire suppression system, but a reflash occurred, the Coast Guard said.

The river was closed to all vessel traffic from Mile 499 to Mile 501 near Belleview, Ky., because of the fire, but reopened at 2:18 p.m. the same afternoon.

“We appreciate the cooperative efforts of our federal, state and local partners in ensuring the safety of our waterway,” said Steven Earles, Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley command duty officer.

There were no injuries or reports of pollution.

The Capt. Kirby Dupuis is operated by Florida Marine Transporters.