Two fuel barges burst into flames Wednesday night on the Mobile River, forcing the evacuation across the river of a moored Carnival Cruise ship.
Firefighters extinguished the massive fire on Thursday. Three people suffered critical burns, according to the Associated Press.
The fire occurred on the Mobile River in Alabama, near the George C. Wallace Tunnel. The tunnel, which carries traffic under the Mobile River, was not affected and remained open.
Mobile firefighters and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the incident. Two initial explosions caught the barges on fire, and subsequent explosions erupted throughout the night and kept firefighters busy. The cause of the explosions remained under investigation, but Coast Guard Lt. Mike Clausen said investigators believe a spark caused by a cleaning crew on the barges likely started the fire.
Alan Waugh saw the fire from across the river.
"It literally sounded like bombs going off around. The sky just lit up in orange and red," he said. "We could smell something in the air, we didn't know if it was gas or smoke."
Kirby Inland Marine, a Houston-based company, owns the barges. The barges were being cleaned at the Oil Recovery Co. facility and, although empty, had been used to carry natural gasoline.
A hazardous materials team inspected the barges after the fires and determined the area to be safe.
The Carnival Cruise ship evacuated was none other than Triumph, the massive cruise ship disabled at sea earlier in February. The ship made the news when its passengers endured hellish conditions, including no electricity, unsanitary conditions and cold food.
After the incident in February, the ship was towed to Mobile to undergo repairs. Crews were still working on repairing the vessel on Wednesday when authorities evacuated them.
The fire did not hinder Triumph's repair schedule and the ship is scheduled to resume service in June.
