Fires on boats

[Starcoaster]

Ok so maybe the simple answer to this is 'do not browse boatwrecks.com just before bed if you want to sleep' but I have to ask!

 

It may just be my perception, but fires on boats seems to be a much more common occurance than fires in houses.

Am I correct in thinking this? If so, why is it the case?

 

And apart from the obvious like having an up to date BSS and not falling asleep with a fag in your hand, are there any reasonable measures that can be taken to minimise the risk?

Edited September 27, 2011 by Starcoaster

[alan_fincher]

I don't know statistics, but I'd be rather surprised if they are much more common on boats than in houses.

 

This of course doesn't mean you should not take fire safety very seriously on boats, but equally it's not worth getting paranoid over.

 

In all honesty how many of us actually have maybe multiple smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a fire blanket, and at least 3 recently supplied (or at least regularly maintained) fire extinguishers in a house ?

 

And we are talking all in an area not maybe bigger than one room of a house.

 

Don't panic, but equally don't skimp on safety equipment, or compromise on how a stove is fitted.

[Barry]

Yes there are SC

 

You are most vulnerable from fire when you are asleep. This is where your smoke alarm comes in - get one

 

Have a fire blanket but don't hang it next to the cooker. If you have a cooker fire you want to be able to grab the thing and next to the cooker is the worst place for it

 

Get yourself a fire extinguisher or two. Have one next to your bed and one just outside the cabin door - then you can tackle a small fire if you are woken up at night by your smoke alarm or you can tackle a small fire from outside if needed but most importantly thoroughly familiarise yourself with the instructions on your blanket and extinguishers

 

Make sure you have an alternative means of escaping from the cabin if a fire you cannot handle occurs between you and the cabin door.

 

Wherever you moor your boat your local fire brigade will be more than happy to come and look at your boat and advise you specifically. It is their statutory duty to do this for you. Look in the yellow pages for fire service headquarters and ask to speak to the fire protection department or their local version of that title.

 

Oh and don't smoke in bed! Unless you get lucky of course.

 

Make sure your ashtrays are emptied outside before you turn in.

 

If you are a fan of tea lights make sure you extinguish them before you go to sleep and always put them in a proper tea light holder or on a coaster.

 

Lastly combine the last few things into your bedtime routine and make it into a habit - sleep soundly

[The Pipe]

Propane will collect in the bilges also allot of people use candles at night on boats, I managed to set a place alight started out with a paper napkin and a candle then set the curtains allight, next time we went for a meal there they did not give us the romantic candle should have taken my Davy safty lamp.

[Dekazer]

Every time I read a thread on this topic I learn something new, so it's always worth asking questions like this - you're not the only one who will benefit.

 

And any excuse to get a fireman round to visit...

[daveyboi2050]

Every time I read a thread on this topic I learn something new, so it's always worth asking questions like this - you're not the only one who will benefit.

 

And any excuse to get a fireman round to visit...

 

 

its the wood burning stoves that worry me. esp when the making a noise of the metal expanding.

[bottle]

A good fire safety regime, do not imbibe to much of the ruinous liquids..................................alcohol.

 

I am not saying it is always involved but many of the reports I have seen, imply that it is involved.

 

Other than that common sense.

[Roxy]

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Lindy%20Lou.pdf

 

Always chills me to the bone reading the above....

 

I have both smoke alarm and Carbon monoxide detectors fitted, as I also have fitted in my house, my childs saftey and mine come first, if I cant see away of escape I would give up both my house and my boat......

[Robbo]

It may just be my perception, but fires on boats seems to be a much more common occurance than fires in houses.

Am I correct in thinking this? If so, why is it the case?

 

Well many more percentage of boats of real fires than houses as well though! My guess is that most of the fires are due to the solid fuel stove (I have no evidence to back this up). The causes may be mainly due to the stove been to near to flammable items.

[dor]

It always surprises me how often you see an occupied boat with the exit locked from the outside with a padlock.

 

Always make sure you can exit the boat in a hurry at either end (or in the middle) from the inside.

[TimD]

A friend of mine had a boat fire while he was away from the boat. The prime suspect is dodgy electrics, it was connected to a hook-up at the time.

[Starcoaster]

http://www.maib.gov....Lindy%20Lou.pdf

 

Always chills me to the bone reading the above....

 

Oh God that is horrible, those poor people. Have the BSS requirements changed now to make smoke alarms mandatory? I can;t believe they weren't before.

[Robbo]

Oh God that is horrible, those poor people. Have the BSS requirements changed now to make smoke alarms mandatory? I can;t believe they weren't before.

 

Nope, smoke and CO2 alarms aren't mandatory. Of course you'll would be wise to install.

 

Remember though a boat fire is still a rare event.

[Duchess Omnium]

After reading a similar thread on this forum a few years ago I made some changes to my own boat. When I bought the boat the tiles surrounding the hearth were stuck directly onto the wood that formed the back of the dinette and the side of the boat. As is usual, the benches for the dinette served as storage, and when I looked inside, I could see that the wood was dark, as if slightly burned, suggesting the tiles on the other side must have been getting very hot. After advice from this forum I pulled off all the tiles (many of them were falling off anyway, presumably the adhesive had melted), and I mounted fireboard along the wooden dinette back. Then I attached the tiles to the fireboard instead of directly to the wood. I also mounted fireboard on the side of the boat that formed the other part of the fire surround. I have felt a lot safer since. I don't have fireboard under the stove, but it sits on feet which sit on tiles which are raised above the wooden floor, so I hope it is okay.

 

Are smoke alarms and carbon monoxide monitors now required for BSS? They weren't the last time I had mine done, but I think it only has one more year to run. (Time flies...). I know I should get these, anyway.

 

oh, I see while I was typing someone answered my questn. But yes, I should get them anyway.

[koukouvagia]

A quick Google brought up this BSS report. Table A9 gives all the causes of boat fires between 2006 and 2009.

[alan_fincher]

A quick Google brought up this BSS report. Table A9 gives all the causes of boat fires between 2006 and 2009.

The 2009 table near the end, (i.e. the most up to date in there), shows some perhaps surprising data......

 

If you ignore the large "inconclusive/not known figures", then it seems......

 

A fire was about one and a half times as likely to be caused by a petrol leak or refuelling incident than a solid fuel stove

 

and

 

A fire was over three times more likely to be deliberately started than from a solid fuel stove.

 

Not a lot you can do about the latter other than choosing careful where to moor or leave your boat, but maybe a warning against some of the idiot tricks I have seen people do with petrol cans and generators ?

 

I also note that despite people apparantly having more paranoia about the use og gas aboard than just about any other risk, the actual number of recorded LPG incidents in 2009 seems to be zero!

 

Of course if you then look at other years, the pattern is not necessarily the same, so perhaps trying to draw statistical conclusions about one risk versus another isn't that reliable, I'm not sure ?

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

one problem can be you come in late and the boat is cold, open up the fire to create draft then go to bed forgetting to shut it down tight, fire gets very hot but by that time you are asleep, either you wake up hot or something near the fire catches light and you don't wake up ever. I have surrounded the stove with 2 layers of fire board and put a lump of flagstone between the fire and the step. The other thing is cooking late at night and falling asleep with the pan on. Mistakes will happen so guard against them.

[Radiomariner]

Then there was the guy that raked out the fire, banked it up then took the ash tray ashore to empty leaving bottom door intentionaly open to draw the fire a bit. Got involved in conversation with another boater and came back to a burning boat. (Can't remember the exact details of that one, but it stuck in my memory as it was such an easy mistake to make.(My daughter, who has a boat with a stove, when told of it said "There but for the grace of God go I)

[cotswoldsman]

I had a fire on my boat a few years ago and was caused by the boat builder not putting Fireboard behind the stove. So as other people have said not sure they are more common and ensuring your boat is safe should reduce the chances of a fire.

[Ally]

Although the figures say arson is the most frequent cause, stoves are certainly a cause from either poor fitting standards or people leaving doors open. I was at Sharpness festival a few years back when a boat burned out. I was told it was due to the owners heading off down the festival leaving their stove burning with the door open...I don't know if that was intended or not.

The boat was completely burned out and twisted, the only thing that survived being the stove itself! A horrible sight. Having been in 3 building fires in the past, and seeing that, get your stoves thoroughly checked for proper fitting, it may look ok, but as said earlier....what is behind those tiles? Even now, a quick flick through the mags often shows even new boats with non-compliant stove fitting. We often get customers come to us with a picture from a mag, saying..'that's how I want my stove', and we have to refuse because one quick glance shows wood or curtains far too close. They may think we are being awkward, but I wouldn't want a fire on my conscience!

Be safe....go over the top when protecting around stoves....take all advice....listen to what Bazza2 says...he knows!

Edited September 28, 2011 by Ally

[cotswoldsman]

Although the figures say arson is the most frequent cause,

 

I am sorry I find this hard to believe would be interested in seeing these figures. One of the reasons I ask is that this year I was moored by a burned out boat on the GU everyone said it was arson and after Fire brigade investigation it turned out to be a gas leak.

[Ally]

I am sorry I find this hard to believe would be interested in seeing these figures. One of the reasons I ask is that this year I was moored by a burned out boat on the GU everyone said it was arson and after Fire brigade investigation it turned out to be a gas leak.

Oh, just going on the table referred to previously. Must admit, I always thought it would be stoves or gas!

[cotswoldsman]

Oh, just going on the table referred to previously. Must admit, I always thought it would be stoves or gas!

 

ok thanks

 

I read those figures to show 25% are arson maybe I missed something as I have not read the complete report.

[Laurie Booth]

I was turning my boat when a fire started in the engine room.

8 mins into the video.

 

 

[Ally]

ok thanks

 

I read those figures to show 25% are arson maybe I missed something as I have not read the complete report.

Page 6 shows the breakdown of 62 incidents, with 'deliberate fire setting' being the highest number if 'causes' amongst all shown.

That's how I read it to be the biggest factor.