Conditions are deteriorating for Almirante Storni Firefighting in Sweden
Conditions on board the burning MV Almirante Storni have deteriorated over the past 24 hours as the fire continues to burn in the ship’s timber cargo.
Increased “heat dissipation” in combination with deteriorating weather has now made the situation “worrying”, according to the Coast Guard’s latest update. The government has now called in help from the Norwegian Coast Guard.
An overflight of the ship on Wednesday morning indicated that the heat “disappears”.
“Heat dissipation is serious. It is about an increased risk of escalation and risks for the ship that has 600 tons of fuel on board, says Jesper Bäckstedt, rescue leader for the Coast Guard.” We are now working intensively with everyone involved to move forward in this situation. “
The fire broke out in Almirante Storni’s timber cargo on Saturday and has been burning since then when the ship is at anchor off the island of Vinga, near Gothenburg. The Coast Guard is now considering a plan to take the ship to calmer waters or to a nearby quay to continue the extinguishing.
The Swedish Coast Guard has also called in help from the Norwegian Coast Guard’s KV Bergen, which is currently on its way to the site. KV Bergen is expected on Wednesday night and will join the Swedish Coast Guard’s KBV 002 Triton and KBV 001 Poseidon, which have been fighting the fire since last Saturday.
“[KV Bergen] is a welcome reinforcement that increases the endurance in total for everyone who participates in the firefighting work “, says Jesper Bäckstedt.
Ice formation is now also a problem in the midst of falling temperatures and strong winds that increased during Monday evening.
All seventeen crew members remain on board the MV Almirante Storni even when the fire burns in the front of the ship. So far, it has been reported that the ship itself is still structurally sound.