Video: Massive Fire Breaks Out Aboard Scrap-Laden Ship At Amsterdam Port

Fire on Cargo ship — Screengrab from X video posted by Team Huismuizen

A massive fire broke out on a large cargo ship loaded with scrap metal at the Amsterdam Scrap Terminal on Thursday afternoon, May 15, and continued burning into Friday.

The ship involved is Trade, a 58,096-deadweight-tonne supramax bulk carrier flying the Marshall Islands flag and built in 2011. It had arrived in Amsterdam from Le Havre, France, on May 9 and was docked at Vlothavenweg in the city’s western port area.

The Dutch fire brigade reported that the fire started at 17:02 local time in cargo hold No. 4 of the vessel. Initially, firefighters attempted to tackle the blaze by removing the burning scrap metal from the hold and extinguishing it on shore. This method was successful for hold No. 4, but the fire soon spread to cargo hold No. 3 by around 06:00 on Friday morning.

Intense heat from the fire caused the hatches of hold No. 3 to weaken and collapse, making the interior inaccessible. This forced emergency responders to stop their original plan and come up with a new strategy.

Fire crews worked throughout the night and into Friday using fireboats, cranes, and ladder trucks to spray water onto the vessel and continue removing debris wherever possible.

Gisteren een enorme scheepsbrand vlakbij de locatie waar we ratten observeren in Amsterdam. Robert had ademhalingsproblemen toen hij bij de dieren ging kijken. Nadat de brand al urenlang gestopt was is hij naar het schip gelopen. Wat in hemelsnaam is daar in rook opgegaan? @AT5 pic.twitter.com/HqlpdHZVhX

— Team Huismuizen (@huismuizen) May 16, 2025

Authorities described the fire as difficult and complex due to the deep location of the scrap within the vessel. The ship’s cargo holds, which are hard to access, made it more challenging to fully reach the source of the fire.

According to updates from the Amsterdam-Amstelland Safety Region, the fire was completely extinguished by approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday. In the meantime, the blaze produced large clouds of smoke that drifted across various parts of Amsterdam and beyond.

The Dutch government issued a total of five NL-Alerts, emergency notifications sent to mobile phones, advising people in affected areas to close all windows and doors and turn off ventilation systems.

The first alerts were issued for the area between Vlothavenweg and the A10-Zuid near Nieuwe Meer. As wind conditions shifted, the smoke moved toward central Amsterdam.

Reports of soot deposits, a strong chemical-like smell, and breathing difficulties were received from residents across western and central Amsterdam, and even as far as Amstelveen, Zaanstreek, Nieuwkoop, Alphen aan den Rijn, and Gouda.

Mensen uit #amsterdamwest kregen een NL alert over een dikke rookwolk van een brand op een vrachtschip ramen en deuren moesten gesloten blijven pic.twitter.com/sO56uplaGq

— Dolly van den Berg (@dendolly1) May 16, 2025

Fire department teams monitored air quality and stated that, although the smoke smelled unpleasant, measurements did not show any increased levels of toxic substances. However, they advised people to keep their homes sealed to avoid soot particles from entering.

People were also warned not to eat vegetables from gardens exposed to the smoke and to clean any soot-covered surfaces with warm water and soap.

No injuries were reported, and all crew members onboard were safe. The vessel’s operator, Diligent Holdings, confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.

The fire happened at a metal recycling facility that exports scrap to other countries, including Turkey. The Trade measures 190 meters in length with a beam of 32.26 meters and is one of the vessels regularly used for metal cargo operations at the terminal.

A similar fire involving another ship was reported at the port just weeks earlier.

References: nltimes, worldcargonews

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