A marina fire in Scottsboro, Alabama, earlier this year illustrated how such a situation can turn tragic in just minutes.
At 12:35 a.m. on January 27, 2020, a man living aboard a houseboat at Jackson County Park Marina awoke to a “popping” sound and smoke filled the cabin. According to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the owner told investigators he saw flames coming from the forward bulkhead near the vessel’s electrical panel.
Sadly, this one boat fire turned into a loss of 35 boats and 7 lives.
A boat fire can easily grow and quickly spread to neighboring boats and structures. Wooden and fiberglass boats filled with sails, furniture and diesel provide ample fuel to a fire. Prevention and preparedness are crucial to lessening the impact of a marina fire.
Be prepared: The best defense against fires is prevention.
Boat Owner Fire Prevention Tips
Use UL Marine-approved cord sets and connections. Do not hook up if you see burn marks or your cord set will not firmly connect.
Routinely replace cord sets. Worn or overloaded cord sets and damaged shore power connections are a common cause of fires.
Regularly inspect electrical and fuel systems. Have a professional upgrade the wiring to maintain the needs of your navigational equipment and other appliances.
Never leave operating electrical equipment, including heaters, unattended. When leaving your boat for any reason, turn portable heaters off.
Smoke alarms and CO detectors are important life-saving devices and should be installed in your boat.
Plan your escape. Having an escape plan can save your life in an emergency.
Have a U.S.C.G. approved fire extinguisher onboard and know how to use it. Fire extinguishers should be mounted near an exit, so you are moving toward an exit as you access the extinguisher.
Do your part to keep the dock and finger clean and clear.
Properly dispose of oily rags in metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Leaving oily rags wrapped up in a grocery sack is not safe. The chemicals will begin to breakdown the rags, causing heat and possibly a fire.
Boat owners must take responsibility for preventing fires on their boats and in the marina. The most common causes of boat fires are electrical malfunctions, unattended portable heaters and poor housekeeping.
For more information on how to keep your boat and marina fire free, check out these articles:
https://www.seattle.gov/fire/safety-and-community/fire-and-life-safety-handouts
https://www.withoutahitch.com.au/marine/stay-safe-around-marine-electricals/
https://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/winter/electric-heaters.asp
https://boatplanet.com/the-captains-blog/heating-your-boat-without-burning-it-down
If a fire does occur- Alert boat occupants and quickly get to a safe location.
Call 911
Only use a fire extinguisher from a safe location
Semiahmoo Marina has an alarm button located on the Main Dock
at the entrance to D Dock.
Get to know your neighbors so you will know who is onboard
in case of an emergency.
Check in at the Marina Office upon arrival and departure so the staff knows you are aboard.