The US Coast Guard is investigating a fire that broke out onboard its sole, ailing heavy icebreaker following a military exercise near Antarctica.
The agency said the fire — the third mishap in its most recent Antarctic mission — started in the 43-year-old Polar Star's incinerator room 10 February while the ship was roughly 650 miles north of the McMurdo Sound.
The blaze reportedly took two hours to put out and damaged electrical equipment, though no injuries were reported.
"It’s always a serious matter whenever a shipboard fire breaks out at sea, and it’s even more concerning when that ship is in one of the most remote places on Earth," Vice Admiral Linda Fagan said in a statement. "The crew of the Polar Star did an outstanding job. Their expert response and determination ensured the safety of everyone aboard."
The cutter's mission in the south Pacific Ocean began 27 November, with its departure from Seattle.
During its voyage, electrical systems began smoking, damaging one of the ship's two drinking water evaporators. The system was fixed after a port call in New Zealand.
Once in Antarctic waters, the ship broke 17 miles of 6- to 10-foot thick sheets of ice, though the operation was halted due to a propeller shaft leak that required a scuba operation to fix.
On 30 January, the Polar Star escorted an Intermarine-controlled boxship, the 17,590-dwt Ocean Giant (built 2012), to McMurdo Station on a resupply mission.
It also participated in Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military service mission in support of the National Science Foundation.
The Polar Star is one of two icebreakers maintained by the Coast Guard, alongside the medium icebreaker Healy.
The Coast Guard and Navy have sought to replace the Polar Star, which is 13 years older than its 30-year expected service life, with three modern icebreakers. But the Government Accountability Office has expressed concerns about the project's size, cost and design, though Congress has expressed concerns the lack of icebreakers year-round access to the Arctic and Antarctic.
The Polar Star is currently en route back to Seattle.
