Marine Fire Fighting

Fire Fighting Equipment

Fire is feared above all other disasters at sea because of the speed at which the problem can reach crisis proportions. Storms and other bad weather can take hours, even days to develop. Engine troubles can generally be fixed in an open-ended timeframe. Fire, on the other hand, must be dealt with quickly and effectively. You can't run from a boat fire when you're out on the water, you have to face it and extinguish it.

This topic contains two sub topics - fire prevention and fire fighting. .

First Priority: Fire Prevention

The most effective investment you can make in in fire fighting is to invest in fire prevention. Time and energy spent preventing fires has a huge payoff and may even save your life.

According to BOAT/US statistics, there are three primary sources of boat fires. The most common types of fires (55% of all fires) are those caused by bad electrical wiring and appliances. Engine/transmission overheating accounts for 24% of fires, and fuel leaks accounted for 8% of fires. Other causes of fires include cooking-related fires in the galley and fires caused by candles, oil lamps and other open flames.

The table below lists fire prevention tasks, in order of the most common fires.

	Item	Link to Detail
#1 Electrical Fires
	Monitor the temperature of your shorepower cord when using high-amperage items such as air conditioners or heaters . Check plugs at both ends of the cord for corrosion or burning.
	Inspect shore-power cords for evidence of overheating or electrical arcing. Also inspect the inlet socket on the boat as well.
	Check the wiring on your boat for chafe and loose connections as part of your normal maintenance schedule.
	Inspect fuses and make sure that oversized fuses are not being used. If a fuse blows, find out the ROOT CAUSE - don't just replace the fuse. Never replace a blown fuse with one of larger capacity.
	Never leave unattended electrical heaters running on your boat for an extended period of time . This is one of the most common causes of boat fires.
#2 Engine Overheating Fires
	Check engine wiring, particularly large battery cables, for chafe. Make sure connections are tight and don't show signs of corrosion. High-amperage battery cables have the capacity to start a serious fire.
	Perform regular maintenance on your engine cooling system. See the diesel engine maintenance topic for more information.

#3 Fuel System Fires
	Examine all fuel hoses. Even though diesel fuel has a high flash point (i.e. is hard to ignite) it will cause a fire if a leaking low pressure hose drips on a hot engine.

#4 Galley Fires
	Check propane supply lines, particularly the flexible line behind the stove ("Out of sight / out of mind").
	If you have a pressurized alcohol stove, consider replacing it with a safer non-pressurized stove.
	Remove curtains from any porthole above the stove. Flare-ups from cooking fires will set the curtains on fire and quickly spread.
	When cooking aboard, never deep-fat fry meals. The danger of a cooking fire quickly spreading to the rest of the boat is too great.
Other Fires
	Inspect containers of solvents (e.g. acetone) for any signs of rust or leakage. Discard any damaged containers
	Never store dinghy gas tank below decks or in a cockpit locker.
	Never store propane tanks below decks; store them in a vented propane locker only.

Fire Fighting Equipment Checklist

The list of fire-fighting equipment required by the US Coast Guard is minimal, at best. For example, the USCG requires that a boat of 40 feet has two fire extinguishers on board. Consider though, that the boat may have three separate cabins and that occupants may have to fight your way through a fire to escape a cabin.

	Item	Link to Detail
Automatic Fire Extinguishers
	Recommended: put an automatic halon fire extinguisher in the engine compartment
	Consider putting a small automatic halon fire extinguisher in the electrical cabinet as well
Manual Fire Extinguishers
	Have at least the number of fire extinguishers required by the USCG on board.
	Have one fire extinguisher in each separate cabin where crew sleeps.
	Mount a fire extinguisher within easy reach of the galley for stove fires
	Have a fire extinguisher within easy reach of the cockpit
Misc
	Ability to cut all 12v battery power with master switch(s)
	Carbon Monoxide detectors recommended for boats with gasoline engines or generators, or for boats with furnace/heater systems.
	Smoke detector(s) are recommended for all boats with an enclosed cabin
Maintenance
	Check operation of smoke detectors monthly; change batteries annually
	Check pressure gauges on all fire extinguishers. Replace those that show signs of leakage.
	Turn dri-chem extinguishers upside down and shake vigorously to loosen up power inside.

Links to Outside Resources

	Item	Link to Detail
Equipment
	BOAT/US article on the different types of fire extinguishers.	Link
	USCG requirements - how many extinguishers do I need?	Link

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