JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly five years after a fiery explosion aboard the Hӧegh Xiamen cargo ship at Blount Island that critically and seriously injured nine Jacksonville firefighters, a current JFRD battalion chief is speaking out, saying key decisions made that day put lives at risk.
Battalion Chief Chip Drysdale, who served as the forward operations chief during the June 4, 2020, ship fire, is preparing to retire later this year. But before he leaves the department, he said he wants to set the record straight.
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“JFRD was not prepared or trained for that day,” Drysdale told Action News Jax Ben Becker in an exclusive interview. “Absolutely not. No, sir.”
The fire that changed everything
The blaze broke out aboard a cargo ship carrying more than 2,400 junk vehicles headed to Africa. Within minutes, massive plumes of smoke poured into the air as fire crews rushed to the scene.
ORIGINAL STORY: At least 9 Jacksonville firefighters hurt while fighting ship fire at Blount Island
Multiple agencies investigated the fire, including the National Transportation Safety Board, the Coast Guard, and the State Fire Marshal. The NTSB determined that a battery that was improperly disconnected inside one of the cars sparked the fire, which eventually destroyed over 1,000 vehicles and led to multiple explosions on board.
But Drysdale claims those investigations left out critical information, including what he said is a 57-minute gap in the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department’s internal timeline.
READ: COAST GUARD REPORT
“What I found was 57 minutes were missing of action steps,” Drysdale said.
He said he pieced together the missing time using timestamps from the incident report and radio logs. The “after-action report” from the fire, created by JFRD, included only a “contracted transcript” of radio transmissions, omitting what Drysdale said were vital decisions made during the chaos.
“That after-action report was never disseminated to any of us in the fire department,” he said. “We never read it.”
READ: NTSB REPORT
Warnings ignored
Drysdale said he ordered accountability officers to prevent anyone from reentering the ship once it became too dangerous. Tires were already exploding from the heat, and Drysdale himself suffered burns to his face.
“I felt like 500 needles hit my face,” he said. “So, I immediately realized the conditions had changed.”
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Drysdale said he passed command after sustaining his injuries, but firefighters were later sent back in, even though a thermal imaging camera showed that four of the ship’s upper decks were glowing white-hot, indicating deadly conditions inside.
According to the Coast Guard, cargo deck vents were manipulated to increase airflow, which triggered three major explosions. That’s when the injuries occurred.
“That’s when all hell broke loose,” Drysdale said. “I had no idea they were in there. I had no idea that he had ventilated and caused the explosion.”
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Disputed timeline, limited training
Randy Wyse is the former President of the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters and was one of three members on the committee that produced JFRD’s after-action report. When asked about Drysdale’s claim of a 57-minute gap, Wyse initially told Becker he couldn’t confirm whether a full transcript was ever created.
In a follow-up phone call and text message, Wyse said the missing time referred to pieces of silent audio that were removed.
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Wyse later offered to sit down for another interview and provide the radio traffic, but the day he and Becker were supposed to meet, Wyse canceled and instead emailed that there was “no cover-up.”
Drysdale and federal investigators point to additional issues, including a lack of training. The Coast Guard‘s final report in January 2025 stated:
“There was a lack of shipboard firefighting training for JFRD firefighters.”
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That contradicts what Wyse told the public the day after the fire:
“This is one of the most dangerous things we do is ship firefighting, and we train pretty heavily for it.”
Wyse now said the department has expanded training efforts since the fire.
“I think they have been aggressive in covering those areas,” Wyse said.
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Nine recommendations, but concerns remain
The JFRD report made nine safety recommendations, including establishing a unified command and enforcing absolute accountability. The State Fire Marshal also issued five key recommendations, among them: do not allow venting operations while personnel are still inside the ship.
Chief Keith Powers, the head of JFRD, declined an on-camera interview. But in a statement through the mayor’s office, the department said:
“The Hӧegh Xiamen Ship Fire was fully investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Coast Guard, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office. JFRD fully cooperated with those investigations, and went further, immediately appointing an internal committee comprised of individuals with impeccable credentials and unquestioned integrity. JFRD stands by the findings of the independent state and federal agencies that have investigated the matter. The investigations provided recommendations for the enhancements of current practices, which have been adopted.”
‘We’re not in a much better position’
Still, Drysdale said more must be done, especially when it comes to training.
“About 15% of our fire department have been trained in shipboard firefighting,” he said. “We’re not in a much better position.”
$16 million settlement
A local law firm ultimately reached a $16 million settlement on behalf of eleven firefighters with the terminal operators and shipping companies.
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