US car carrier to anchor off Isle of Wight after fire

An American car carrier is heading towards Southampton after a fire.

At around 3:45am today (Friday 24 February 2017) UK Coastguard was notified of a fire on board the US car carrier ‘Honor’ in the English Channel while it was en route to Baltimore from Southampton.

The vessel’s fixed firefighting systems were used to attack the fire and the cargo space has been sealed. The ship’s crew continue to monitor the cargo area.

The ship has full manoeuvrability and has turned back towards Southampton, where it is planned to anchor to the South East of the Isle of Wight.

UK Coastguard is monitoring the situation closely and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has been notified of the incident. A Fire and Rescue Marine Response team is to be airlifted on board the vessel by the UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at Lee on Solent to further investigate the fire damage and determine whether or not it is safe for the vessel to return to Southampton Port.