Firefighters Battle Barge Blaze in Delaware Bay
Matthew Enuco | NJ.com
nj.com
(TNS)
Several agencies responded to a barge that caught fire in the Delaware Bay off the coast of Cumberland and Cape May County on Tuesday, officials said.
The barge was carrying salvage metal when it caught fire just off the coast of Petty Island near the Delaware coastline, Delaware Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
Local, state and federal agencies responded to the incident including the U.S. Coast Guard, officials said.
The barge was being moved to shallow water Tuesday afternoon so firefighters could fight the blaze while it was moored, officials said.
No injuries have been reported and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental control is at the scene, officials said.
Large plumes of smoke could be seen billowing from the barge in video taken by news helicopters hovering over the scene.
the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said they were monitoring air and water quality and coordinating with responding agencies.
Officials from Delaware Emergency Management Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.