On Monday, August 18, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard and local partners responded to reports of an explosion aboard the 751-foot merchant vessel W-Sapphire in Baltimore Harbor.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., Sector Maryland – National Capital Region watchstanders received a call over VHF channel 16 from the W-Sapphire stating an explosion had occurred aboard the vessel.
Responders from Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region were dispatched to the area to assist. No injuries were initially reported and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
The Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the incident location, spanning from the Francis Scott Key Bridge to Brewerton Angle Channel LB “14”.
Reports state the fire has been extinguished and plans for the vessel are being formulated.
The W-Sapphire was outbound from Baltimore Harbor with 23 crewmembers and 2 pilots aboard and was south of Fort Carroll at the time of the explosion. The report stated the vessel was transporting coal.
Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast notice to mariners and dispatched responders to the scene to assist while coordinating the response with local port partners.
Following the incident involving the W Sapphire, the U.S. Coast Guard East District issued a notice that the Fort McHenry Federal Channel was closed to all vessel traffic in an area near Swan Creek, Sparrows Point, and extending up to the former location of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Fort McHenry Federal Channel closure was due to debris from the explosion on the M/V W Sapphire.
On August 19, the U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Fort McHenry Federal Channel into and out of the Port of Baltimore with a draft restriction, limiting the maximum navigational draft to 46.6 feet for vessels transiting within a 500-yard radius of the hatch cover’s location.
On August 20, the U.S. Coast Guard issued an update providing details of the draft restriction and salvage operation:
“Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region personnel, in coordination with partner agencies, are actively engaged in salvage planning, Wednesday, to recover the hatch cover that detached during the explosion aboard the motor vessel W-Sapphire in the Baltimore Harbor.
A draft restriction remains in place, limiting the maximum navigational draft to 46.6 feet for vessels transiting within a 500-yard radius of the hatch cover’s location.
An intermittent safety zone covering all navigable waters within a 500-yard radius of the hatch cover’s location will be reactivated during future dive and salvage operations. Updates on the safety zone will be provided via the Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region’s official Facebook page.
The W-Sapphire remains anchored north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The vessel has enacted its vessel response plan and is in stable condition. Following a joint boarding conducted with other investigative entities, a comprehensive plan will be developed to safely clear the vessel from the port.”
Agencies Involved in the incident:
Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay response boat crews
Coast Guard Station Annapolis response boat crew
Sector Maryland – National Capital Region responders
Baltimore Fire Department
North Point-Edgemere Volunteer Fire Department
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police crews
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
The explosion and fire was one of several major incidents that have impacted the region. In June 2025, a diesel fuel spill in Baltimore Harbor impacted the harbor and local traffic in the area.
On March 26, 2024, the Singapore-flagged containership DALI collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River, effectively blocking major vessel traffic into and out of Baltimore Harbor.
In March 2022, the container ship EVER FORWARD ran aground near Gibson Island south of Baltimore Maryland.
MV W SAPPHIRE (IMO: 9605645) is a 751-foot bulk carrier sailing under the flag of Liberia.
sources: U.S. Coast Guard, Maryland Port Administration
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