NTSB holds meeting on cause of Port Newark cargo ship fire that killed 2 captains
The National Transportation Safety Board held a meeting Tuesday in Washington, D.C. to determine the probable cause of the deadly Port Newark cargo ship fire in New Jersey.
Newark Fire Captains Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, were killed when the Italian-owned Grande Costa D'Avorio caught fire in July 2023. Five other firefighters were injured.
The cargo ship was loaded with 1,200 vehicles at the time, and the massive blaze continued to burn for six days.
Jeep Wrangler caught fire, spread to other vehicles, NTSB says
NTSB investigators have said it was sparked when a Jeep Wrangler that was used to move cargo onboard the ship caught fire. The Jeep was pushing another vehicle up a ramp when the driver heard a loud noise.
"The fire originated when the Jeep's transmission fluid boiled over and ignited on a hot engine surface," one NTSB official said during Tuesday's meeting. "Despite initial firefighting efforts, the fire eventually spread from the Jeep to the vehicle it was pushing and then to other vehicles on Deck 10."
The NTSB says that model Jeep had been recalled because the transmission could cause fluid to catch fire if overheated, and it should not have been used in that industrial capacity.
"The men loading the ship were using a Jeep Wrangler to push cargo upon the ship. That Jeep Wrangler was having known mechanical issues throughout the day and was in fact smoking," Mark Apostolos, the attorney representing the victims' families, said earlier this year. "And despite that, those men continued to use that Jeep Wrangler until it started a blaze."
According to the NTSB, a CO2 fire extinguishing system should have put the fire out, but a garage door could not be closed since the controls were on the inside where the fire was. Officials say that allowed "outside air to enter the space and feed the fire."
A spokesperson for the Grimaldi Group said at the time that pusher vehicles are regularly used to load vehicles, but the company couldn't comment because it's owned and operated by two other companies.
First responders didn't have sufficient maritime firefighting training
Investigators say the Newark firefighters who responded to that fire were not adequately trained in specialized marine fighting.
"They never had ship board fire training and this was absolutely a contributing factor to their deaths," the Newark Firefighters Union said in a statement last year.
"So I hope that Newark Fire Department leadership is listening. This isn't just a failure of communication, this was a failure of leadership," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
An attorney for the families of the fallen firefighters said in a statement, "This absence of preparation left firefighters Acabou and Brooks, dedicated public servants, without the resources required to navigate the hazardous conditions they encountered."
Nearly two years after that tragic night, federal investigators say Newark firefighters still have not received sufficient training in maritime firefighting.
The NTSB recommended that Newark firefighters get that specialized training to prevent another tragedy.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda released the following statement:
"The port fire that took the lives of Captain Augusto Acabou and Captain Wayne Brooks, Jr. on July 5, 2023, was a once-in-a-career event that sent shock waves of grief throughout our city.
"Newark's firefighters responded with bravery and in accordance with their oath to protect lives and property, doing what is expected of any career firefighter. Since that day, the events that transpired have informed every endeavor of our entire firefighting force. Our Public Safety Department and Fire Division set about immediately to procure funding for training. So far, city funding combined with a lengthy and intensive grant writing process yielded Maritime Firefighting Awareness Training for every firefighter not on long-term medical leave, totaling 540 members certified between May 2024 and March 2025. On December 20, 2024, the Division submitted its grant for the next phase in the normal progression to operational training and we are hopeful to receive those FEMA funds.
"Meanwhile, the Division has created a new standard operating procedures and policy to ensure the safety of all members operating at shipboard fires. We are collaborating with the port authority to secure a location and insert a Special Operations Command Unit to provide 24/7 response to emergencies at the port.
"It might be easy for people to minimize the complexity of training a force of more than 600 firefighters to meet the possible challenges of a city with an international airport, seaport, and eastern corridor railroad hub. This is a heavy load – but one our Public Safety and Fire Division leadership and its rank and file are fully prepared to lift for the good of our city and as an example to others."
Acabou was a 10-year veteran of the fire department, and Brooks, affectionately known as "Bear," spent 16 years with the department after graduating first in his class at the academy. Both men were posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.
