The Felicity Ace cargo caught fire while carrying luxury car brands such as Volkswagen, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Audi aboard.
The Felicity Ace cargo ship reportedly caught fire on Wednesday (Feb.16) in the middle of the sea.
It was approximately 200 miles from Terceira Island in the Azores, a Portuguese island territory, when Portuguese forces rescued the ship in an attempt to evacuate the crew.
The Felicity Ace Cargo Ship
The fire on the massive cargo ship was believed to be carrying thousands of vehicles, including 1,100 Porsches vehicles.
According to Fortune, 3,965 Volkswagen AG vehicles were onboard the ship as written in the internal email from Volkswagen's U.S. operations.
As stated in the email, the group's headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Germany, where it manufactures its Volkswagen brand, and Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini were all on board when the ship caught fire.
Over 100 vehicles were at risk heading to the Port of Houston, Texas, including GTI, Golf R, and ID.4.
The Felicity Ace cargo ship was built in 2005. A total of 17,738 tons could be carried by vessel, which measured 200 meters (656 feet) in length and 104 feet across the beam. When fully loaded, the ship can transport nearly 4,000 vehicles.
For now, there are currently no details available regarding the cause of the fire, other than the fact that it occurred in the ship's cargo hold.
According to the website Marine Traffic, the Felicity Ace was traveling from Emden, Germany, where Volkswagen has a factory, to the port of Davisville, in the state of Rhode Island.
What Happened in The Felicity Ace Fire?
As reported by the Washington Post, The Felicity Ace raised the alarm after a fire broke out in the ship's hold, according to a statement released by the Portuguese Navy. According to the navy, the ship was transporting vehicles.
The Felicity Ace, a cargo ship carrying hundreds of vehicles including Porsches bound for the U.S., was left adrift in the mid-Atlantic following a fire #WSJWhatsNow pic.twitter.com/TPdXHKyL75
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 18, 2022
The Portuguese navy also stated that one of its patrol boats as well as four merchant vessels is assisting with the rescue. Aircraft from the Portuguese air force was also called into action.
In addition, the spokesperson for the Portuguese Navy stated that he did not have any additional information about the ongoing operation.
The ship has a crew of 22 people on board, and fortunately, all of them were rescued safely.
Although the blaze is still active, the captain of the port of Horta on the Azorean island of Faial told the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, on Thursday (Feb.17) that it was under control.
As reported by New York Times, a spokesperson for Porsche Cars North America confirmed that 1,100 of the company's vehicles were on board, but that it was unclear what would happen to the vehicles.
With that, the spokesperson also advised their customers who were concerned about their vehicle were encouraged to contact their dealer.
The company also stated that "thoughts are of relief that the 22 crew members of the merchant ship Felicity Ace are safe and well".
Unfortunately, this incident comes in an untimely manner as showrooms across the country are attempting to meet consumer demand in the face of supply-chain problems caused in part by the pandemic.
The low-interest rates, higher savings rates, and government stimulus payments have all contributed to the increase of demand.
