A devastating fire aboard a cargo ship at Port Newark, New Jersey, claimed the lives of two firefighters on Wednesday night. The inferno, which ignited around 9:30 p.m., rapidly engulfed multiple decks of the vessel carrying 5,000 vehicles.

Responding firefighters encountered an intense blaze already consuming several vehicles on the 10th floor. Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson reported that the flames swiftly spread to the 11th and 12th floors, creating extremely hazardous conditions. During the initial attack, two firefighters became separated from their crew amidst the intense heat and smoke. Tragically, despite rescue efforts, both firefighters were later found and pronounced dead.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka expressed profound sorrow at the scene, acknowledging the inherent dangers faced by firefighters. He called the loss a tragedy for the city and the entire firefighting community.

The identities of the fallen firefighters have not yet been publicly released. Fire crews continued their efforts to suppress the flames throughout the night and into Thursday morning. Chief Jackson praised the bravery and dedication of the firefighters, who, despite facing a unique and challenging fire, continued to put themselves in harm's way to protect others.

The U.S. Coast Guard Northeast confirmed its response to the incident, adding that all ship crew members were safely accounted for. The Grande Costa D’Avorio, an Italian-flagged vessel operated by Grimaldi Deep Sea, had arrived from Baltimore several days earlier. According to the operating company, crew members were loading vehicles onto the ship when the fire erupted.