Four shipping containers caught fire at the Port of Oakland on April 22, 2019, according to the Oakland Fire Department and numerous reports from national and regional outlets.
The initial call was made to the Oakland Fire Department at approximately 7 pm when the food-laden containers were on the intersection of Seventh and Maritime Streets.
@PortofOakland Maritime & 7th St #oakland pic.twitter.com/oMver5JkhK
— Oakland Firefighters (@OaklandFireLive) April 22, 2019
They had arrived at the port and were about to be loaded onto trucks which would have taken them inland when they started burning.
Three container trucks on fire @PortofOakland #oakland firefighters on scene. pic.twitter.com/ySfhvQ73j8
— Oakland Firefighters (@OaklandFireLive) April 22, 2019
According to the Oakland Fire Department, 24 firefighters spent an hour extinguishing the blaze. Nobody was injured and it is currently unclear who owned the containers or their cargo. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Oakland is the second major US port to suffer an explosion in the past week. On April 16, 2019, a container on-board an 18-wheeler truck exploded and damaged several nearby buildings – PTI reported on the story at the time.