During the busy rush hour commute on Tuesday evening, August 27, a fire in the engine room of the NY Waterway ferry Father Mychal Judge necessitated the evacuation of dozens of passengers. The 65-foot ferry was making its way along the Hudson River from Manhattan (NYC) to New Jersey when the fire erupted.
Witnesses reported seeing flames aboard the vessel, and images circulated on social media showed thick gray smoke rising from the ferry. The crew quickly responded by sealing the engine room and activating the vessel's fire suppression systems, effectively containing the blaze.
The 37 passengers were safely transferred to the nearby NY Waterway ferry Frank Sinatra, which brought them ashore without incident.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Following the evacuation, Father Mychal Judge was towed to NY Waterway's maintenance facility in NJ. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
The 2002-built Father Mychal Judge (constructed by Allen Marine in Sitka Alaska) is named in honor of FDNY chaplain Mychal Fallon Judge, who lost his life during the September 11, 2001, attacks.