2 Newark firefighters killed fighting blaze aboard cargo ship at Port Newark

Two Newark firefighters died Wednesday night while fighting a blaze on a cargo ship at Port Newark, officials said.

Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, and Augusto “Augie” Acabou, 45, were identified by Mayor Ras Baraka as the two firefighters who died while trying to contain the blaze.

“This was a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the family of each of these members and also the Newark fire department,” said Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson during an early morning press conference.

Officials at a later press conference did not say if the fire had been contained, as it had continued to smolder several hours after it began late Wednesday.

“We just lost two of our best here in the city of Newark, two of our bravest here in this city who, without hesitation, gave their lives and probably that morning didn't think they would be fighting a fire on a ship of 5,000 cars, something they had not trained for,” Baraka said shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

Five other firefighters were injured combating the blaze, including those from other municipalities, officials said. One firefighter from Newark had burns to his feet, another had heat exhaustion and a third had respiratory distress.

The department responded around 9:30 p.m. to a fire on the massive car carrier Grande Costa d’Avorio, which was loaded with roughly 5,000 vehicles, officials said. By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze was already burning a handful of cars on the ship's 10th floor, Jackson said. It quickly spread to the 11th and 12th floors.

“The members made an attempt to extinguish the fire, and because of the intense heat, they got pushed back out of the area where the initial fire was,” Jackson said as he fought back tears. “Two firefighters were lost while conducting this action of backing out of the structure.”

After initial searches to locate the missing individuals were unsuccessful, other teams were called from around New Jersey and New York City. The U.S. Coast Guard was also called in to assist.

Eventually, specialized search and rescue teams were able to find the firefighters, but it was too late.

Earlier that morning, Baraka called it a tragedy “for all firefighters who know what it means to go into a burning structure … And the danger that you're going to have to experience when you do so.”

The fire was still smoldering as of 5 a.m.

The Port Newark Container Terminal is part of the larger Port of New York and New Jersey, the biggest marine port on the East Coast. It is run by the Port Authority and is located next to Newark Airport on Newark Bay.

Jackson said that fires aboard ships are uncommon for his department and pose a unique set of challenges.

“Although this is a difficult fire, it’s a different type of fire, they’re still willing to put themselves on the line for others,” he said of his team.

“This is something that I, as a chief, never want to face. But we have to be there, we have to be strong for the families at this point.”

This story has been updated with new information.