Scary boat fire in CT
- Thread starter South of Heaven
- Start date
I have witnessed several boats explode and burn at fuel docks, as well as several other propane explosions--some with fire and some not.
In this case:
A classic case of someone fueling his boat, and not checking the bilge before starting the engine--no matter if he says he ran a blower or not. When I had an inboard gasoline boat, we always had all people off the boat when fueling, opened the hatch and put our head into the engine compartment to sniff for fumes, then ran the blower for 5 minutes, sniffed again and then started the engine.
According to the news sources it took fire dept about 25 minutes to get on scene. There eventually was a fire boat as evidenced in other short video segments. But unless a fire fighting unit is on scene other boats often are lost.
If the fellows in the inflatable had a small folding grapnel type of anchor, with a light chain on it, they could have thrown it into the cockpit of the burning boat and kept it form drifting into docks. Alternaternatively the boats at the leeward dock could have been cut loose and pushed off and the inflatable pulled them clear.
I watched in Pensacola when we had a very intense fire in one of the "shed" wooden structure with tin roof, marinas. The fire was started by a "mechanic" who was working on a diesel boat, spraying WD 40 on a warm engine part and then attempted to start the engine. The engine compartment items on a diesel boat are not ignition protected as on a gas boat. The fire burned a dozen boats and did several million worth of damage. The nearest fire hydrant was over 300' away so several hoses had to be strung out and a pumper moved to near the fire to get pressure needed. All of this is complicated by the entrapment of fire, heat and smoke in the "shed" and makes it difficult for the fireman to get water on the fire. A small CG "Safe boat" had responded and attempted to pull a boat which had broken free and was drifting toward waterfront homes with a grapnel on a nylon line. The line burned and they didn't have another grapnel. Afterward the sheds were rebuilt in a more fire safe manor, fire mains were put on the docks. and hoses were available. The City did acquire some type of small fire boat. (But it was not regularly staffed).
Many marinas are not equiped to high fires. Some are, with fire mains, and hoses on the docks. In Long Beach, CA, we had a fire station in the marina. (No longer) with a catamaran fire boat. (Fast with little wake and stable. Fire fighters trained specifically to fight fires). The Baywatch series of boats of Los Angeles County had a fire fighting turret on the fore deck and can be effective fire fighting vessels.
Fortunatel no lives appeared to be lost, and we all need to focus on our safety when fueling!
Thanks Jason
In this case:
A classic case of someone fueling his boat, and not checking the bilge before starting the engine--no matter if he says he ran a blower or not. When I had an inboard gasoline boat, we always had all people off the boat when fueling, opened the hatch and put our head into the engine compartment to sniff for fumes, then ran the blower for 5 minutes, sniffed again and then started the engine.
According to the news sources it took fire dept about 25 minutes to get on scene. There eventually was a fire boat as evidenced in other short video segments. But unless a fire fighting unit is on scene other boats often are lost.
If the fellows in the inflatable had a small folding grapnel type of anchor, with a light chain on it, they could have thrown it into the cockpit of the burning boat and kept it form drifting into docks. Alternaternatively the boats at the leeward dock could have been cut loose and pushed off and the inflatable pulled them clear.
I watched in Pensacola when we had a very intense fire in one of the "shed" wooden structure with tin roof, marinas. The fire was started by a "mechanic" who was working on a diesel boat, spraying WD 40 on a warm engine part and then attempted to start the engine. The engine compartment items on a diesel boat are not ignition protected as on a gas boat. The fire burned a dozen boats and did several million worth of damage. The nearest fire hydrant was over 300' away so several hoses had to be strung out and a pumper moved to near the fire to get pressure needed. All of this is complicated by the entrapment of fire, heat and smoke in the "shed" and makes it difficult for the fireman to get water on the fire. A small CG "Safe boat" had responded and attempted to pull a boat which had broken free and was drifting toward waterfront homes with a grapnel on a nylon line. The line burned and they didn't have another grapnel. Afterward the sheds were rebuilt in a more fire safe manor, fire mains were put on the docks. and hoses were available. The City did acquire some type of small fire boat. (But it was not regularly staffed).
Many marinas are not equiped to high fires. Some are, with fire mains, and hoses on the docks. In Long Beach, CA, we had a fire station in the marina. (No longer) with a catamaran fire boat. (Fast with little wake and stable. Fire fighters trained specifically to fight fires). The Baywatch series of boats of Los Angeles County had a fire fighting turret on the fore deck and can be effective fire fighting vessels.
Fortunatel no lives appeared to be lost, and we all need to focus on our safety when fueling!
Thanks Jason
WE had a boat fire at John Wayne just a couple months ago. Failure to run the fans, and sniff the Engine compartment after fueling. About a 20 foot, run-about type. NO one hurt, but total loss, plus about 10 feet of dock. The boat was on the trailer in the parking lot when I saw it. The explosion blew out both sides of the hull topsides, right at the engine compartment, and then burned everything from the I/O drive forward to the foredeck.
A warning reminder. It was left in the parking lot for several days.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Not everywhere has this much fire out power.
A warning reminder. It was left in the parking lot for several days.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
Not everywhere has this much fire out power.
Same fire from the other side of the harbor.
Really sad they didn't pull boats out of the way... sure seemed like there was time and people to get everything forward of and including the Sea Ray.
https://youtu.be/ptQFMax2Ndw
Really sad they didn't pull boats out of the way... sure seemed like there was time and people to get everything forward of and including the Sea Ray.
https://youtu.be/ptQFMax2Ndw
Just watched these again. So much ineptitude displayed. "I'll watch, but I sure won't get involved. All of those boats on that dock could have been saved if people there had been thinking ahead, and acting.
Even a long boat hook from the inflatable could have saved them.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Even a long boat hook from the inflatable could have saved them.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
Pacificcoast101
Member
It looked like the guys in the inflatable were thinking of hooking up to the ladder while the anchor was available and out of the fire. They probably could have towed it to the center of the channel and anchored it.
The guys in the inflatable had good intentions I'm sure... but didn't seem to have anything in the way of effective tools for the situation - especially in terms of dealing with the floating dumpster fire. I'm sure the heat was unbearable.
Given what they had to work with, pulling other boats out of the way probably would have been the best chance. There was a guy on the dock to cast off lines. It would have been tough to get the Boston Whaler out of there unless someone acted a lot earlier - but all of the others could have been saved pretty easily IMO.
Yeah, ideally getting an anchor on the burner would have been the best move... but having all the right parts at hand on time is probably too much to ask for the average person these days.
Given what they had to work with, pulling other boats out of the way probably would have been the best chance. There was a guy on the dock to cast off lines. It would have been tough to get the Boston Whaler out of there unless someone acted a lot earlier - but all of the others could have been saved pretty easily IMO.
Yeah, ideally getting an anchor on the burner would have been the best move... but having all the right parts at hand on time is probably too much to ask for the average person these days.
There was also "Capt. John's Tiki Hut tours" which burned:
. I doubt that could be gotten out of the way. The "after photo" which I could not copy showed an intact hull--could not tell about the motor, but it was probably toast also!
The only dinghies I have owned and which might have "helped to save boats" would have been the larger 12 1/2 and 13 foot RIB's which had anchors with chain, and a boat hook always aboard.
The comments about saving other boats were given only for folks to consider if faced with this situation in the future. It is always impossible to Monday night quarterback these very urgent situations. I agree that those in the dinghy were taking risks, and didn't know if there could be another explosion or rapid wind shift.
. I doubt that could be gotten out of the way. The "after photo" which I could not copy showed an intact hull--could not tell about the motor, but it was probably toast also! The only dinghies I have owned and which might have "helped to save boats" would have been the larger 12 1/2 and 13 foot RIB's which had anchors with chain, and a boat hook always aboard.
The comments about saving other boats were given only for folks to consider if faced with this situation in the future. It is always impossible to Monday night quarterback these very urgent situations. I agree that those in the dinghy were taking risks, and didn't know if there could be another explosion or rapid wind shift.