Since the vessel was no longer seaworthy and could not move under its own power, even if freed from the beach, the focus of the operation changed.
Oil from the ship's fuel tanks continued to pose an environmental hazard, a situation exacerbated by both the ship's structural failure and continuing pounding from the surf.
In order to mitigate the situation, the Unified Command decided to set the fuel tanks on fire in order to burn off the oil.
The first attempt was made on 10 February.
Napalm and other incendiary devices were used to ignite the fuel, but only one of the diesel tanks was burned effectively.
A second attempt was made on 11 February when US Navy explosive experts placed 39 shaped charges to breach the top of the fuel tanks from within the cargo holds.
602 U.S. gallons (2,280 L) of napalm and nearly 397 pounds (180 kg) of plastic explosives were also used to ignite the fuel on board.
The ship burned for approximately 33 hours.
Additional smaller-scale attempts were made to burn more oil over the next two days, with limited success.
The total amount of oil that was burned is estimated to be between 165,000 and 255,000 US gallons (620 and 970 m³).
The structural stress caused by the fire, combined with continued severe weather, caused the vessel to break into two sections around midnight on 11 February.

After additional weather-related delays, on 26 February salvors managed to float the 440-foot (134 m) bow section and began the process of towing it out to sea for disposal.
By 1 March, the tugboat Sea Victory had towed the bow from the beach and out to sea, initially followed by an oil skimmer vessel, OSRV Oregon Responder.
However, another severe storm forced the skimmer back to port, and when the tug was 50 miles (80 km) off the coast, the tow line broke.
The bow section floated for fourteen hours until it ran aground near Waldport, Oregon on 3 March, approximately 80 miles (129 km) to the north of the original grounding site.
On 8 March, the bow was again refloated, and by 11 March it was successfully towed 280 miles (451 km) off the coast by Sea Victory and a second tug, Natoma.
At this location, the Pacific Ocean is approximately 10,000 feet (3,048 m) deep.
The bow was sunk by two US Navy ships, the destroyer USS David R. Ray and the submarine USS Bremerton.
Four hundred pounds (180 kg) of high explosives were attached to the bow and detonated.
Sixty-nine rounds of gunfire from David R. Ray's 5-inch (127 mm) deck guns then punctured the hull.
After 40 minutes, the ship was still afloat with darkness and a storm approaching.
To expedite the sinking, Bremerton fired a Mark 48 torpedo at the underside of the ship.
Within ten minutes, the bow section flooded and sank stern-first, trapping the remaining oil within.

The stern section remained aground, but did not pose a significant oil spill threat as the majority of the oil on board had already leaked or burned.
Some remaining oil that was found on board was skimmed or pumped out manually.
In June 1999, Green Atlas awarded a ship breaking contract to Donjon Marine Co. and Fred Devine Diving and Salvage.
Although the two companies were able to remove approximately one-third of the stern, their attempts to dismantle the largest section or tow it to sea were unsuccessful and had to be abandoned over the winter.
However, work did not resume in the spring of 2000, and in 2001, a salvage expert hired by Green Atlas claimed the stern should not be removed because it would create a dangerous work environment.
The state later accused Green Atlas of sabotaging the stern removal effort in order to save money; a protracted legal battle ensued.
Since the vessel was no longer seaworthy and could not move under its own power, even if freed from the beach, the focus of the operation changed. Oil from the ship's fuel tanks continued to pose an environmental hazard, a situation exacerbated by both the ship's structural failure and continuing pounding from the surf. In order to mitigate the situation, the Unified Command decided to set the fuel tanks on fire in order to burn off the oil. The first attempt was made on 10 February. Napalm and other incendiary devices were used to ignite the fuel, but only one of the diesel tanks was burned effectively. A second attempt was made on 11 February when US Navy explosive experts placed 39 shaped charges to breach the top of the fuel tanks from within the cargo holds. 602 U.S. gallons (2,280 L) of napalm and nearly 397 pounds (180 kg) of plastic explosives were also used to ignite the fuel on board. The ship burned for approximately 33 hours. Additional smaller-scale attempts were made to burn more oil over the next two days, with limited success. The total amount of oil that was burned is estimated to be between 165,000 and 255,000 US gallons (620 and 970 m³). The structural stress caused by the fire, combined with continued severe weather, caused the vessel to break into two sections around midnight on 11 February.
After additional weather-related delays, on 26 February salvors managed to float the 440-foot (134 m) bow section and began the process of towing it out to sea for disposal. By 1 March, the tugboat Sea Victory had towed the bow from the beach and out to sea, initially followed by an oil skimmer vessel, OSRV Oregon Responder. However, another severe storm forced the skimmer back to port, and when the tug was 50 miles (80 km) off the coast, the tow line broke. The bow section floated for fourteen hours until it ran aground near Waldport, Oregon on 3 March, approximately 80 miles (129 km) to the north of the original grounding site. On 8 March, the bow was again refloated, and by 11 March it was successfully towed 280 miles (451 km) off the coast by Sea Victory and a second tug, Natoma. At this location, the Pacific Ocean is approximately 10,000 feet (3,048 m) deep. The bow was sunk by two US Navy ships, the destroyer USS David R. Ray and the submarine USS Bremerton. Four hundred pounds (180 kg) of high explosives were attached to the bow and detonated. Sixty-nine rounds of gunfire from David R. Ray's 5-inch (127 mm) deck guns then punctured the hull. After 40 minutes, the ship was still afloat with darkness and a storm approaching. To expedite the sinking, Bremerton fired a Mark 48 torpedo at the underside of the ship. Within ten minutes, the bow section flooded and sank stern-first, trapping the remaining oil within.
The stern section remained aground, but did not pose a significant oil spill threat as the majority of the oil on board had already leaked or burned. Some remaining oil that was found on board was skimmed or pumped out manually. In June 1999, Green Atlas awarded a ship breaking contract to Donjon Marine Co. and Fred Devine Diving and Salvage. Although the two companies were able to remove approximately one-third of the stern, their attempts to dismantle the largest section or tow it to sea were unsuccessful and had to be abandoned over the winter. However, work did not resume in the spring of 2000, and in 2001, a salvage expert hired by Green Atlas claimed the stern should not be removed because it would create a dangerous work environment. The state later accused Green Atlas of sabotaging the stern removal effort in order to save money; a protracted legal battle ensued.
New Carissa