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  Federal investigators will conduct several days’ worth of hearings on a cargo ship fire that occurred at Port Newark last summer, which killed two New Jersey firefighters.
  
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  The Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the investigation of the July 5 fire.
  
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  The hearings are intended to examine in depth the circumstances that led to the fire, and the deaths of firefighters. This will improve future safety.
  

On Wednesday, federal investigators will start a series of days-long hearings into the dockside fire of a cargo ship that killed two New Jersey firemen last summer in one of the busiest U.S. ports.

The Coast Guard, and the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the cause of the fire that broke out on the Italian-owned Grande Costa d’Avorio in Port Newark. The ship was carrying over 1,200 cars.

Newark firefighters Augusto “Augie” Acabou, and Wayne “Bear” Brooks Jr. both died fighting the fire.

NEWARK FIREFIGHTER KILLED in CARGO SHIP FIRES PROMOTED to CAPTAIN DURING EMOTIONAL FUNERAL SERVICE

According to a Coast Guard alert from November, a preliminary investigation by Coast Guard and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health revealed that Newark Fire Department had “little to no maritime firefighting experience or familiarization” with cargo ships.

Christian Barger, commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District and chief inspector for inspections and inquiries, announced on Tuesday that 13 witnesses would testify at hearings which will last until January 18. The witnesses will include members of the crew from the ship as well as dockside cargo handlers and firefighters.

He said: “This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers that first responders, maritime personnel and other professionals face every day.”

He stated that the hearings are intended to “examine in detail the circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire, and the deaths of Firefighters Acabou & Brooks. This will help us prevent future incidents and improve the safety of shipping and ports.”

NJ CARGO SHIP BLAZE THAT KILLED 2 FIREMEN EXPECTED TO BURN FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS

Barger stated that the investigation will not attempt to assign blame to anyone. The report will include safety recommendations that go beyond the alert of Nov. 20. This guidance recommended that local ports and fire departments establish regular training and education on shipboard for firefighting, including language translation capability for non-English speaking crews.

Families of the deceased firefighters claim that a malfunctioning vehicle used to load cargo on the ship was the cause of the fire. In October , they announced their intention to sue the Grimaldi Group – the Italian company which owns the vessel – as well as the two stevedore firms involved in loading it.

In October, an attorney representing the families stated that the firm’s investigation revealed that a Jeep Wrangler used to push cargo onto the ship had been observed to emit smoke from its engine compartment a few hours before the fire started. The families’ spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry for comment on Tuesday.

DEADLY NJ CARGO SHIP FIRE EXTINGUISHED AFTER NEARLY A WEEK

The attorney criticized the performance of the two firefighting crews of five members, who were in charge of putting out the fire. He claimed that they did not use extinguishers or hoses to put out the fire, but instead used an incorrect carbon dioxide-based system to suppress it by denying it oxygen.

He said that while the fire suppression system was active, the door to the garage on the 12th floor remained open. This provided the fire with oxygen, which allowed the fire to continue to burn.

Grimaldi has not responded to a request for comment. The company said previously that the crew activated the onboard fire suppression procedure and called local firefighters, which triggered a rapid response crucial for containing and controlling blaze. The company also stated that no hazardous cargo or electric cars were aboard, that no fuel spills were detected, and that the stability of ship was not compromised.