Hundreds evacuated off Staten Island Ferry after fire breaks out

Hundreds of people were evacuated off a Staten Island Ferry after a fire broke out during the evening rush on Thursday, according to the FDNY.

The blaze started in the engine room on a vessel called the Sandy Ground just before 5:20 p.m., forcing the 558 passengers on board into life jackets and onto other boats, officials said.

A Staten Island Ferry boat is seen in New York Harbor en route to St George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island, New York City after a reported smoke condition in an engine room on Thursday, December 22, 2022.

The small fire was limited to the mechanical room and the ferry was anchored near Bayonne, the Department of Transportation said.

All 588 passengers were transferred to NY Waterway’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt ferry and taken to St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, NY Waterway said in a statement.

No one was injured during the chaos.

The fire department was set to tug the Sandy Ground back to Staten Island.

In a statement posted to DOT’s Twitter feed, the agency thanked the Sandy Ground’s Capt. Joseph Ajar, his crew and the rest of the staff for their quick thinking.

The union that represents the Staten Island Ferry crew called the fire “very alarming” after they had been “deeply concerned” for the safety of passengers and crew aboard new Ollis vessels, which the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association claims have had “serious issues and the DOT failed to train our members on the new fleet.”

“Our dedicated and experienced mariners are working long, tireless hours to maintain our service,” the union said. “It is time for the Mayor and NYCDOT to work with us to hear our staffing and safety concerns.”

The Ollis vessels first opened to passenger service in February.

DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the claims.

The cause of the fire is under investigation as authorities determine whether the ferry is safe to return to service.

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