A floating boom was put in place around the Dong Won 701 to contain any possible spillage from the vessel.

It is hoped a fire burning on a Korean fishing vessel docked at the Port of Timaru has finally burnt out after almost a week, but crews won't know for sure until they re-enter the boat tomorrow.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) South Island assistant area commander Rodger Smith said crews had been working through the weekend closely monitoring the temperature of the ship as they tried to finally bring the fires under control.

"We're continuing to apply water jets to the outside parts of the vessel.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF Fire crews will re-enter the Dong Won 701 on Monday to check if the fires have burnt out.

"Logistically these sorts of fires are always challenging but we've got firefighters from Dunedin, Invercargill, Wellington, as well as locals to assist," Smith said.

READ MORE:

* Fishing boat staying put

* Port operations resume

* TAIC inquiry begins

The 70-metre Dong Won 701 Korean fishing vessel caught fire about 9.30pm on Monday.

Since then emergency services crews and authorities have been working to bring the fire under control and minimise its impact on the harbour and operations at the port.

Smith said the plan now was for fire crews to re-enter the boat, which was sealed on Friday in an effort to contain the fires, on Monday.

"We can't guarantee that all the fires are out but we're pretty confident that they are," he said.

Smith said once the fire was out, Fenz would cease its involvement with the vessel.​​

The incident is being investigated by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission. </s> Attempts are under way to suffocate the fires still burning on the Korean fishing vessel in the Port of Timaru.

Towing a burning Korean fishing boat out to sea from the Port of Timaru has been deemed too dangerous.

The 70-metre Dong Won 701 caught fire while docked at the port on Monday night and authorities have been struggling to extinguish the fires since.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) South Canterbury area manager Steven Greenyer revealed on Friday that one option considered was towing it out to sea, but this has been deemed too dangerous.

1 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Water is sprayed on the fishing vessel Dong Won 701 that is on fire in the Port of Timaru. 2 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Water is sprayed on the fishing vessel Dong Won 701 that is on fire in the Port of Timaru. 3 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF 13042018 News JOHN BISSET/STUFF. Ship fire The fishing vessel Dong Won 701 is still smoking as firefighters continue efforts to extinguish the fire. 4 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Water is sprayed on the fishing vessel Dong Won 701 that is on fire in the Port of Timaru. 5 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Firefighters on board the Dong Won 701 that caught fire while docked in the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2018. 6 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Firefighters prepared to board the Dong Won 701, a Korean fishing boat that caught fire in the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2108. 7 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Water is sprayed on the fishing vessel Dong Won 701 that is on fire in the Port of Timaru. 8 of 20 DOUG FIELD/STUFF Steam and smoke can be seen rising from the Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the port of Timaru on April 11, 2018. 9 of 20 DOUG FIELD/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 11, 2018. 10 of 20 DOUG FIELD/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 11, 2018. 11 of 20 DOUG FIELD/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 11, 2018. 12 of 20 DOUG FIELD/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 11, 2018. 13 of 20 DOUG FIELD/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 11, 2018. 14 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 10, 2018. 15 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF Water is sprayed on the burning fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at the Port of Timaru on April 10, 2018. 16 of 20 AURORA BOURASSA/SUPPLIED The Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 on fire at the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2018. 17 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF The Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 on fire at the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2018. 18 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF The Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 on fire at the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2018. 19 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF The Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 on fire at the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2018. 20 of 20 JOHN BISSET/STUFF The Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 on fire at the Port of Timaru on April 9, 2018.

"We had permission to tow the ship out to sea, but when you've got a major fire on the front part of the ship, you can't tow it forward... towing it from the stern would have meant turning the ship around into the wind meaning the fire would have come back into the rest of the ship and also placed the tugs in danger," Greenyer said.

READ MORE:

* Port operations resume as fishing boat fire burns on]

* TAIC begins inquiry into ship's fire in Port of Timaru

"The other issue was if we towed it out and it sinks in the channel then that closes the port, so that was really a last option.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF A close up of fire damage to the Korean fishing boat, Dong Won 701, in the Port of Timaru.

"If the ship had to sink then it's better that it sinks alongside here (the wharf), rather than out in the channel."

PrimePort chief executive Phil Melhopt said port operations were largely back to normal. There were no more delays to ships arriving in port, he said.

"We're mostly out of the woods, but there is still a lot of work going on to smother the two fires," Melhopt said.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF The fishing vessel Dong Won 701 is still smoking as firefighters continue efforts to extinguish the fire.

Greenyer said the fires had been contained but there were two still burning in the ship and attempts to suffocate them began on Friday.

"One is still burning in the cargo hold, while another is in the front the boat."

Greenyer said things like the port holes and doors were being sealed up to help starve the fires of oxygen.

DOUG FIELD Korean fishing vessel Dong Won 701 at Timaru Port

"We're still finishing work to try and smother the fire.

"We're also using a sealing agent (high expansion foam) to seal up doors and any holes so we can starve the fires of air, and then they're more likely to go out.

"The accommodation area of the ship and half of the internal area is burnt-out or badly damaged. The rear part of the ship is still intact."

JOHN BISSET/STUFF At least five fire crews battle a blaze on a fishing vessel at the Port of Timaru on Monday night.

A tug boat carrying firefighters is also still being used to cool the sides of the ship.

"We anticipate that this will take some time to fully extinguish."​

Greenyer said about 20 fire crew members were still attending the blaze, with some coming from as far south as Dunedin.

MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/STUFF The fishing vessel Dong Won 701 photographed at 11.20am on Thursday at the Timaru Port. It is still smoking as the fire onboard remains to be extinguished.

As the battle to extinguish the fires continued, Environment Canterbury (ECan) has declared a Tier 2 response, under the Maritime Transport Act 1994, which allows it to manage the potential risk of oil or other contaminants getting into the harbour water.

"We have trained responders closely monitoring the situation and will mobilise them should the need arise," said ECan's on-scene commander for marine oil spills, Richard Purdon.

"In addition specialised containment and collection equipment is in place and ready for use if needed.

MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/STUFF More than 20 fire crew and a host of Timaru Port and Environment Canterbury are attending the ship's fire.

"For now it's a monitoring operation. No oil has escaped from the fishing boat."

Fenz is continuing to douse the fire from the outside to reduce the risk the boat could move or sink.

"The area close to the boat is considered too dangerous for our responders to work in. As soon it is safe to do so, we will deploy a boom around the vessel to contain any potential spill, reducing the risk of environmental harm," Purdon said.

The Dong Won 701 is owned by Dong Won Fisheries and the company's chief executive, Tae Wang, said on Wednesday it was continuing to work with the port and safety authorities while also attending to the welfare of the ship's crew. </s> At least five fire crews battle a blaze on a fishing vessel at the Port of Timaru on Monday night.

Witnesses report hearing a loud bang when a fishing ship caught fire at the Timaru Port.

Ten fire crews and a tug boat are fighting the blaze at the front of the 81-metre Dong Won 701 fishing vessel docked next to the San Won building.

Fire and Emergency NZ southern communications shift manager Tim Reynolds said 10 fire crews including one from Christchurch were responding to the incident, which started about 9.25pm.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF The ship is docked next to the San Won cool stores building in Timaru.

Do you know more? Email newstips@stuff.co.nz.

He said the ship, the Dong Won 701, was "well involved in flames", but all persons from the ship were accounted for.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF Firefighters from around South Canterbury are being called to the burning ship in Timaru's harbour.

Reynolds said fire crews were still actively dealing with the fire as of 11.50pm, and had not confirmed it was contained yet.

He said the size of the response was due to the size of the fire, and he expected at least some of the crews would be there overnight.

A St John spokesman said three patients had been taken to Timaru Hospital with minor injuries. They were checked for smoke inhalation.

SUPPLIED Emergency services are responding to a large ship fire at Timaru Port.

A police spokeswoman said emergency services were called to the fire about 9.25pm.

Police were there as "essentially a bit of crowd control on land", she said.

Soosie Lucas, who lives opposite the port, said there was a "loud bang" when the ship caught fire.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF Fire crews battle to bring a fire under control on a fishing boat in the port of Timaru

"It boomed all around the port, it was a big loud bang."

Lucas said "very thick and dense" smoke was spewing from the ship when the fire started, but it had been dampened down by the rain.

There was a traffic jam forming from people coming down to look at the fire, Lucas said.

An eyewitness said there was "a heavy emergency services presence", with at least five fire trucks, a command unit, and three ambulance on scene.

She said a crowd of people were looking on from behind the fence, despite the cold and rainy night.

The Dong Won 701 is a South Korean fishing vessel which arrived in port on Monday morning, and was due to leave on Tuesday. It was one of the boats involved in an employment court action in 2014 for paying crew below the minimum wage.

Its owned by Korean fishing company Dong Won Fisheries. Its website said it has over $150 million USD annual revenue, operates a seafood processing plant in China, and a specialised seafood processing company in called San Won in Timarua [sic], New Zealand. </s> A fishing ship fire in Timaru Port has been contained but fire crews will stay on board through the day.

Last night 10 fire crews fought the fire on the 80m Dong Won 701 fishing vessel docked at the South Canterbury port.

Three crew members have been treated for smoke inhalation.

A Timaru District Council webcam showed a large amount of smoke coming from the port last night after the fire broke out about 9.30pm.

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🚒 TIMARU PORT - Crews from Christchurch have been called to assist a ship on fire at the port of Timaru. Webcam view here:https://t.co/RZuQD6DcFi pic.twitter.com/jDOcxYNlvm — Christchurch Live (@03alert) April 9, 2018



A Fire and Emergency spokesman said this morning the fire had been contained but seven crews would stay there for most of the day.

Dozens of onlookers watched the fire last night. </s> Fire crews are battling a blaze onboard a ship at the Timaru Port.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said 10 fire crews from Timaru and the surrounding area were fighting the fire.

Three people are being treated for smoke inhalation after a fire broke out on the ship they were onboard at Timaru Port.

Emergency services responded to the fire around 9.30pm.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said no one is now on the vessel and the fire is not at risk of spreading. </s> Explosions rocked a stricken Iranian oil tanker in the East China Sea on Wednesday, forcing maritime authorities to suspend firefighting and rescue efforts as a blaze raged on the vessel for the fourth day after a collision with a freight ship.

The explosion on the Sanchi's bow was the latest setback in the multinational effort to extinguish the blaze and forced rescue vessels to move to a safe distance, China's Ministry of Transport said. It was not immediately known if the explosion was large enough to cause the ship to sink.

Earlier in the day, an official with South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries told Reuters the oil tanker could burn for as long as a month.

“We believe flames would last for two weeks or a month considering previous cases of oil tank accidents,” Park Sung-Dong said.

The Sanchi was carrying nearly 1 million barrels of ultra-light oil when it collided Saturday evening with a freighter 160 miles off the coast and caught fire. The cause of the collision remains unclear.

IRANIAN OIL TANKER BURNING FOR THIRD DAY, MAY EXPLODE AS CREW STILL MISSING

Intense flames, bad weather and poor visibility have hampered rescue efforts in the following days. Rescues have also faced the threat of poisonous fumes from the hulking wreck.

Rescuers on Tuesday found a body believed to be a sailor from the Iranian-operated tanker, while a search continued for 31 other missing crew members.The Iranian company who owns the ship said there is still hope of finding survivors.

A spokesman for National Iranian Tanker Co. told The Associated Press in Tehran rescuers "likely" will find survivors.

IRANIAN OIL TANKER BURNING OFF CHINA MAY EXPLODE, BODY FOUND IN SEARCH FOR MISSING CREW

"Since the vessel's engine room is not directly affected by the fire and is about [46 feet] under water, there is still hope," spokesman Mohsen Bahrami said late Tuesday. "We are persistently working to put out the fire and rescue possible survivors."

Mahmoud Abuli Ghasemabadi, the brother of missing Iranian sailor Ehasan Abuli Ghasemabadi, told the AP he and other families remained hopeful for good news.

"I ask countries that are in that region and can offer any assistance to help us deal with this situation as soon as possible," Ghasemabadi said.

It's the second collision for a ship from the National Iranian Tanker Co. in less than a year and a half. In August 2016, one of its tankers collided with a Swiss container ship in the Singapore Strait, damaging both ships but causing no injuries or oil spill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> Beijing/Seoul — Rescue crews were forced to retreat from a stricken Iranian oil tanker in the East China Sea on Wednesday following an explosion on the ship. A fire raged for a fourth day.

The blast happened on board the tanker in the afternoon after rescue crews were dousing the ship with foam in an attempt to put out the fire, China’s transport ministry said on Wednesday.

The cause of the blast and extent of damage to the tanker were not clear.

The ship was carrying condensate, a highly flammable ultralight crude, to deliver to South Korea when it collided with a Chinese freight ship on Saturday about 300km off China’s coast near Shanghai.

Dozens of rescue boats from China and South Korea have been battling strong winds, high waves and poisonous fumes to comb a 3,100km2 area for 31 missing sailors and to tame the fire, amid growing concerns that the listing ship may explode or sink. Iran’s navy joined the effort on Wednesday, a government official said.

The lashing winds were expected to ease on Thursday, the Chinese ministry said.

The tanker Sanchi, run by Iran’s top oil shipping operator, National Iranian Tanker, collided on Saturday with the CF Crystal, carrying grain from the US. The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensate, equivalent to about 1-million barrels and worth $60m.

The Chinese government said on Tuesday it had not found a "large-scale" oil leak and the condensate was burning off or evaporating so quickly that it would leave little residue — less than 1% — within five hours of a spill. That reduces the chances of a crude-style oil slick.

Officials said there was still a chance of finding survivors among the 31 remaining crew, who are all Iranian nationals except for two Bangladeshi citizens. The body of a crew member was found on Monday in the water near the tanker.

"If the crew have been able to reach some place like the engine room, then the chances of their rescue are high," said Hassan Qashqavi, a senior Iranian foreign ministry official. "But if, God forbid, they have been caught up in explosions because of flames inside the ship, then the chance of their rescue is small."

Authorities and environmentalists worry that the ship is increasingly vulnerable to breaking up and sinking the longer the blaze rages.

Still, the ultralight crude is highly volatile when exposed to air and water.

South Korea’s ministry of oceans and fisheries warned on Wednesday that the tanker could burn for up to a month, potentially expelling the tanker’s bunker fuel and contaminating the waters.

Bunker fuel — the heavy fuel oil that powers a ship’s engines — is the dirtiest kind of oil and is extremely toxic when spilled. </s> Firefighters are still struggling to contain a huge blaze that is covering 1900 hectares near Nelson on New Zealand's South Island.

"We don't have total control of that area, we're just fortunate it didn't actually grow yesterday," Fire and Emergency New Zealand's John Sutton told media on Thursday.

"But I would expect by the end of the day, we'll be able to say that we have containment," he added.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who visited the region on Thursday, said seeing the fire up close was confronting.

"While I'm immensely relieved there's been no loss of life and want to thank all of those involved in tackling this immense fire, it's clear there are going to be some difficult times ahead until we get the fire fully under control and people back to their homes," she said in a statement.

So far emergency services confirmed that one property was destroyed while more than 400 people had to evacuate 183 homes when the inferno approached.

Richard Kempthorne, the mayor in the Tasman district in the north of New Zealand's South Island, said evacuations would likely remain in place for a few days.

Investigators believe that a contractor ploughing a paddock in Pigeon Valley, about 30 kilometres from Nelson, accidentally started the fire on Tuesday.

No injuries have been reported but 13 sheep had to be put down. </s> RESCUE crews were forced to retreat from the stricken Iranian oil tanker in the East China Sea yesterday following an explosion on the ship as a fire raged for a fourth day after a dramatic collision.

The blast happened on board the tanker yesterday afternoon after rescue crews were dousing the ship with foam in an attempt to put out the fire, China’s transport ministry said.

The cause and damage to the tanker from the incident were not clear.

The ship was carrying condensate, a highly flammable ultra-light crude, to deliver to South Korea when it collided with a Chinese freight ship last Saturday.

Dozens of rescue boats from China and South Korea have been battling strong winds, high waves and poisonous fumes to comb a 3,100-square-kilometer area for 31 missing sailors and tame the fire, amid growing concerns the listing ship may explode or sink. The lashing winds are expected to ease today, the transport ministry said.

Iran’s Navy joined the effort yesterday, a government official said.

The tanker Sanchi, run by Iran’s top oil shipping operator, National Iranian Tanker Co, collided with the CF Crystal, carrying grain from the United States, about 300km off China’s coast near Shanghai.

The tanker was carrying condensate equivalent to about 1 million barrels and worth some US$60 million.

Iranian officials said there was still a chance of finding survivors among the 31 remaining crew, who are all Iranian nationals except for two Bangladeshi citizens. The body of a crew member was found on Monday in the water near the tanker.

“If the crew have been able to reach some place like the engine room, then the chances of their rescue are high,” said Hassan Qashqavi, a senior Iranian foreign ministry official.

“But if, God forbid, they have been caught up in explosions because of flames inside the ship, then the chance of their rescue is small.”

Authorities and environmentalists worry though the ship is increasingly vulnerable to breaking up and sinking the longer the blaze rages. Ultra-light crude is highly volatile when exposed to air and water.

A Chinese marine surveillance plane has discovered a small area of suspected oil spill near the collision site, according to the State Oceanic Administration.

South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries warned yesterday the tanker could burn for up to a month, potentially expelling the tanker’s bunker fuel, or the heavy fuel oil that powers a ship’s engines and contaminating the waters. “We believe flames would last for two weeks or a month considering previous cases of oil tank accidents,” said Park Sung-dong, an official at the ministry.

Bunker fuel is the dirtiest kind of oil, extremely toxic when spilled, though much less explosive.

The Zhoushan fishing ground where the collision occurred is known as one of the biggest in the East China Sea, particularly for mackerel.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand announce they hope the fire aboard Korean ship FV Dong Won 701 is extinguished seven days after catching light in the Port of Timaru, New Zealand. Firefighters say they plan to board the vessel tomorrow to confirm.