July brought another collision in the Houston Ship Channel. A crash between 2 barges ignited a fire on one that burned for 4 hours and shut down the Intracoastal Waterway for several hours.

On July 20 at about 1:20 a.m., Kirby Inland Marine-owned tugboat Captain Shorty C was pushing 2 barges filled with cumene east in the channel. Enterprise Marine Services-owned tugboat Jackie was pushing two barges loaded with naphtha and heading west. Cumene is an additive for gasoline, and naphtha is a flammable petroleum product used in gasoline and as a solvent.

As the ships were crossing the channel at the intersection of the Intracoastal Waterway, the Captain Shorty C lost power and one of its barges struck a barge being pushed by the Jackie.

No injuries were immediately reported.

A fire broke out on the Jackie-towed barge, but officials did not know whether diesel fuel or the naphtha the vessel was carrying was burning. The fire lasted until about 5:20 a.m. A Port of Houston fireboat and a T&T Marine Salvage vessel put out the blaze, Coast Guard officials said.

Three of the four barges were damaged in the incident.

There have been at least four collisions in the Houston Ship Channel this year alone. As the second busiest U.S. waterway, as many as 800 vessels use the channel in a day.

If you have been injured in a vessel collision, the maritime attorneys of Maintenance and Cure can help you recover financial compensation for the damages caused.