3,048 Cars Left to Burn in Fire Disaster

On an ordinary Tuesday in early June, the crew of a 600-foot cargo ship expected nothing more than a long voyage across the Pacific. Instead, they found themselves fleeing for their lives as flames erupted below deck. With over 3,000 cars aboard, including nearly 750 hybrid and electric vehicles, the vessel Morning Midas became an inferno adrift in open water, forcing a high-seas rescue and sparking a complex salvage mission still unfolding off Alaska’s coast.

Smoke on the Horizon

The trouble began about 300 miles southwest of Adak Island, a remote outpost in Alaska’s Aleutian chain. The Morning Midas, en route from Yantai, China, to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, was carrying 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric and 681 hybrid-electric cars.

Smoke was first seen rising from the stern, where the EVs were stored, according to Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s London-based management company.

As the crew tried to fight the fire using the onboard suppression system, the flames spread across multiple decks. Realizing they couldn’t contain the blaze, all 22 crew members abandoned ship via lifeboat and were rescued by the nearby Cosco Hellas, a merchant vessel responding to their distress call.

What Ignited the Flames?

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, the fire’s origin on a deck loaded with EVs is fueling concern. Lithium-ion battery fires are notoriously hard to extinguish due to the intense heat and risk of reignition - even days later.

This is not the first such maritime disaster. In 2023, a cargo ship transporting nearly 500 EVs caught fire en route from Germany to Singapore. That blaze killed one crew member and burned for a week before the vessel was salvaged.

Such cases have prompted international calls for improved safety protocols when transporting electric and hybrid vehicles by sea.

Salvage Efforts: A Race Against Time

As of mid-June, the Morning Midas remains adrift, drifting northeast at about 1.8 miles per hour. Salvage operations are being led by Resolve Marine, hired by Zodiac Maritime, and are currently being staged from the tugboat Gretchen Dunlap.

Two more support vessels are expected to arrive within weeks. Coast Guard crews have been deployed from Adak to monitor the vessel and coordinate response plans.

Rear Admiral Megan Dean of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District reaffirmed the agency’s priorities. “The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority,” she said in a statement reported by Carscoops.

No Criminal Accusations - Yet

So far, no criminal charges or formal investigations into negligence have been announced. Zodiac Maritime has stated they are cooperating fully with authorities and committed to minimizing environmental damage.

While speculation about the safety of transporting EVs will continue, official findings will likely take weeks or months.

A Floating Reminder

The Morning Midas fire underscores how global supply chains, and maritime safety protocols, are being tested by the rise in electric vehicles. As larger and more complex ships carry thousands of volatile battery-powered vehicles, the risks increase. According to Allianz Commercial’s 2025 shipping report, fires aboard ships have reached a 10-year high across all vessel types.

For now, the Morning Midas remains at sea - smoldering, drifting, and serving as a sobering reminder that progress often comes with growing pains.

References: 22 Crew Members Rescued from Lifeboat in North Pacific After Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Catches Fire | Ship Loaded With Thousands Of Cars Still Burning Days After Crew Abandons It At Sea | Burning Cargo Ship Carrying 3,000 Vehicles Abandoned Off Alaska