Delaware Bay barge fire brought under control after being towed to New Jersey, Coast Guard says

A fire aboard a barge in the Delaware Bay was brought under control Wednesday after burning for over 21 hours, officials said.

The barge hauling scrap metal caught fire around 8 a.m. Tuesday and was placed under control before 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Chopper 3 was over the scene Tuesday afternoon as three boats were spraying water on the barge. A large plume of smoke could be seen billowing into the sky near Middletown, Delaware.

According to the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, at 8:20 a.m. the Coast Guard received a call from crewmembers aboard the tugboat Douglas J that the barge they were towing was on fire. 

The barge was then towed to an area near the Maurice River Cove in New Jersey, where firefighters worked to remove the threat from the main ship, according to the Coast Guard.

Marine units from Philadelphia, Cape May and Atlantic City responded to the scene, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard said no injures were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.