Fires At Sea

A fire at sea is without doubt the worst nightmare of any sailor (apart that is from the ship sinking and all crew being adrift in a rubberized paddling pool - a liferaft as they are often called) as the potential damage and loss of life from such is enormous. From a little spark, from what was only a tiny pile of oily rags, disaster can strike and before the alarm bell rings the fire can become a raging, seemingly uncontrollable monster that would fit well into hell.

In ideal situations fires will not start. Crews will be aware, well-trained and suitably qualified so as to remove oily spots in the engine rooms, to clean up messes, to test tanks for explosive gases before entering, to use proper tools, to abide by no smoking signs, etc. But however good personnel are accidents will always happen: a crew member will always drift off into another world at the worst possible moment, leaks can occur at awkward hours when nobody is around and the unexpected can always hit unexpectedly.

The Sounding of the Alarm

When a fire does occur or a potential situation arises it is very important that crews re-act quickly, responsibly and correctly. It is very important to get to that fire as rapidly and safely as possible. It is those first few minutes that count when fighting a fire and it is those first few minutes that will map out the rest of the scenario. On most ships it is common to find fire detectors in every compartment, sensors that will cover heat and smoke and in some cases the presence of a flame. These detectors will trigger the ships fire-alarm upon sensing certain concentration of smoke, heat or a flicker of a flame. In this way the crew will be warned as soon as possible.

These alarms however may take time to trigger, they may not function correctly and the fire itself may have been smouldering behind an engine or bulkhead, gaining heat and potential before the detector gets a sight or sniff of it. In many cases the alertness and watchfulness of the crew can detect signs of fire before the alarms do.

If a crew-member spots the fire first it is very important that he/she rings the alarm as quickly as possible. Once the alarm has been sounded a decision can be made whether to fight the fire! If it is deemed safe to do so, without risk to self, then the fire can be attacked with a portable extinguisher, sand or a fire-blanket. If the fire is out of control or in an enclosed space then the crewmember should withdraw, were possible shutting valves or closing doors to attempt to prevent the spread of the fire to other compartments. he should then muster or contact the bridge to inform them of the situation and the location of the problem!

It would not be sensible under any circumstance to attempt to fight the fire before sounding the alarm. This is a complete recipe for disaster and should not be considered under any circumstances. Should this action result in failure or injury to the sole fighter then all other personnel will not be aware of the fire happening. They may be in bed asleep or working in some remote area of the vessel. The failed attempt of one crew-member to fight the fire alone results in a loss of time before others become aware of the situation. This time gap may be the difference between a small controllable fire to an uncontrollable fire that has spread rapidly.

In these modern times, the sounding of the fire alarm will also trigger important functions that may reduce the spread of the fire in a very short time. The action of sounding the alarm will trigger the closing of all fire doors in the accommodation block, galley exhaust fans and main AC units will switch off. The important factor though in sounding an alarm is to get people organized quickly, to get them out of their beds, away from the TV or their work and into their assigned positions, ready to fight the fire with correct and safe means.

The Initial Response

For the sake of repetition; it is vital that the alarm is sounded before any attempt is made to fight the fire.

When leaving the area, sensible actions can taken! Removal of a can of oil or a bag of rags from the vicinity on the way, shutting the doors would be sensible and switching off any non-essential machinery or equipment would be advantageous. Once out of the vicinity it is important to connect immediately with the crew-members preparing themselves at the muster station or fire points. It is important to pass on information gained to those in charge, to describe the scope of the fire, its potential, what has been done so far and exactly where the trouble spot is located.

With this information a combined decision and plan of attack can be made by those responsible. Engines can be stopped or started, fuel tanks isolated, vent flaps, doors and vent pipes can be shut and power switched off. The information will provide the fire parties with information on the type of fire to be attacked, e.g. electrical, oil, paint, lagging, etc. and it will give them an idea as to how to attack the fire, from what angle and from which direction.

Crews of all ships are trained in basic fire-fighting procedures through a two-day or four-day course ashore. Regular fire-fighting exercises are conducted onboard all vessels to make crew members aware of the equipment in use and what is available to them. Frequent drills produce the ability for rapid and correct response. Frequent drills also make sure that all necessary equipment is tested and the function checked so that should it be necessary to fight a fire all will work without failure or surprise to its users. Instead of crews spending time locating equipment or struggling to connect hoses to incorrect fittings, actions are rapid and automatic. Instead of taking too long to don BA sets because they are unfamiliar or being bowled over by charged fire hoses due to never having held one before, crews will be able to flow through the actions without falter. Drills provide scenario situations to crews from which the location of vents, automatic stops and the location of extinguishers and fire-fighting equipment become embedded in the minds of all.

At the end of the day the most desirable situation is for crews to respond rapidly and without panic, to make them selves prepared to fight the fire without becoming tangled up in equipment, without getting angry or stressed-out and without the all important loss of time.

Once prepared the parties can enter the space or attack a fire in a combined and organized manner that is complete with proper communication, correct equipment and with all other hazards isolated and boundary cooling and back-up party in place.

The Fixed Systems

Every ship is different in scope and in ability to fight a fire. Different types of vessels are fitted with different types of fixed systems. In passenger ships for instance each cabin is fitted with a sprinkler head that will activate upon the glass bulb being melted (at a predetermined temperature). In this way any fire in a cabin can be effectively fought by an automatic and fixed system, and should the fire spread additional heads will be broken as the fire reaches them. This system remains constantly primed and is tested at frequent intervals to ensure its functionality.

Gas tankers typically have a large dry powder system fitted on deck and in the event of gas leakage or fire large monitors will be used to direct this dry powder onto the area - thus effectively reducing the potential of fire or as the case maybe, rapidly extinguishing it.

Most engine rooms come fitted with a CO2 system that once activated will effectively fill a compartment up with CO2 gas thus reducing the Oxygen available for the fire to live on. In this situation it is important that the compartment is sealed and that all personnel are evacuated. Halon used to be a common medium and in some circumstances still is but this is slowly being phased out. The advantage of Halon was that it can be inhaled by humans thus giving them a chance to evacuate or at least breathe should the Halon be injected into the compartment. The disadvantage though is that it is not Ozone friendly.

Other systems exist, some automatic others manual but all are designed with vessel types, potential fire hazards, size, scope and sale in mind.

In Summary

Fires can start despite efforts placed in reducing or minimizing hazards. Fires can start anywhere and anyhow and at the most awkward of times. It is of utmost importance that the alarm is sounded immediately and without hesitation; that the alarm is sounded before any attempt is made to fight the fire

With properly trained crews who are knowledgeable and aware of the equipment and facilities available to them onboard it is possible to manage and control the majority of fires without injury or loss of life. With properly trained and efficient crews, panic will not be an issue, the fire will be fought in a calm and sensible manner and the chance of gaining ground will be enormous.

If a fire is fought quickly and efficiently crews will not find themselves marooned in rubberized paddling pools as they watch their ship consumed in a ball of flame.