Engine room fire on a ferry

A fire was detected onboard the “roll-on roll-off” passenger ferry Pride of Hull when it was outbound in the Humber  Estuary, UK.  The fire was detected in the vicinity of the thermal oil circulation pumps, part of the vessel’s heat reclamation and transfer system. Shortly afterwards, the vessel lost electrical power and propulsion but used remaining headway to anchor safely. The vessel’s Hi-Fog fire suppression system activated automatically but did not operate as anticipated and could not control the fire, which was extinguished using the vessel’s fixed CO₂ system. The vessel returned to port, under its own power, the next day. No one was hurt, damage was limited and there was no pollution.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority report noted the following:

• Bearing failures: examination of the thermal oil circulation pump identified that progressive bearing failures resulted in extreme frictional heating, generating temperatures in the order of 1,200°C, far in excess of the auto-ignition temperature of the thermal oil used in the system.
• Compromised fire suppression systems: Assessment of the fire suppression system identified that the system’s effectiveness was compromised by pump output when multiple zones were activated and its dependence on a domestic fresh water pump to maintain supply for longer than two minutes. Additionally, the system’s pumps were not connected to the emergency switchboard and therefore stopped when the vessel lost electrical power. These limitations were compliant with requirements but were not reflected in emergency response guidance.