Fire Controlled On Docked Freighter

Firefighters sealed off a cargo hold and continued to monitor a fire aboard a 400-foot ship that remained docked Sunday at the Seattle waterfront.

The fire has been contained and firefighters filled the cargo hold with carbon dioxide to smother the fire, said Georgia Taylor, spokeswoman for the Seattle Fire Department.

The fire broke out below deck Saturday morning aboard the S.S. Manulani. The Matson Navigation Co. vessel is registered in San Francisco.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation. No damage estimate was available.

The crew was evacuated, and there were no reports of injuries.

Matson employees will spend two days removing cargo from the holds not affected by the fire, Matson President C. Bradley Mulholland said from the company’s headquarters in San Francisco.

Company officials are arranging alternative transportation for the cargo, he said.

The S.S. Manukai, a sister ship to the Manulani, is expected to arrive in Seattle on Friday and will cover the Manulani’s schedule.

Matson has delivered freight to the Hawaiian Islands since 1882. The company has operated its Seattle terminal since 1906.

In addition to Seattle, Matson’s fleet of 15 container ships operates out of terminals in Oakland, Los Angeles and Honolulu.