Scary Stuff

The season has barely begun and this happens. A few people woke up to some bad news this morning with a call from the RI Yacht Club telling them their boat burned and is sitting on it's bottom. Ugh

http://wpri.com/2014/05/11/marina-fire-destroys-boats/.

So sorry to hear that. I hope no one was injured or killed in the RI blaze.

We had some young firefighters walking our docks for the first time about a year ago. They were looking for hazards and access. I brought them aboard and showed them typical flammables onboard a boat. Now, mind you, mine is a small 34 footer, but their eyes opened wide when I mentioned 250 gallons of diesel, propane tanks, gasoline cans and miscellaneous toxic and combustible materials.

I suggested that if it's my boat on fire, they just cut the lines if they could and push it away from the boat shed to protect the non-burning vessels in the boat shed. Better to let her burn to the waterline away from other people and boats than risk a life fighting a lost cause.

Fly-your advice is pretty good. We have had several marina fires in the Seattle area over the past few years, and I think that fire departments tend to try to fight in place. Seems to me more boats could be saved if the first reaction were to cut the boat loose and get it away from the docks if at all possible.

THD said:

Fly-your advice is pretty good. We have had several marina fires in the Seattle area over the past few years, and I think that fire departments tend to try to fight in place. Seems to me more boats could be saved if the first reaction were to cut the boat loose and get it away from the docks if at all possible.

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Often they aren't there in time to do that plus the other problem is nowhere to send the boat but into another dock due to docks so close.

This one sure seemed to get out of control fast. Supposedly two boats were liveaboards and you would have thought awareness would have been quick. Lucky no deaths.

Another argument against wood docks. Also for marinas to make sure all electricity is up to code, and to be stricter regarding items stored on board, use of propane heaters, and smoking on boats and docks. Obviously we don't yet know the cause of this fire.

Fires at marinas are very scary and there are many each year.

Wooden-covered berths seem to be extra hazardous by limiting access and increasing a fire's spread.

What happens when the boat's fire extinguishers become extremely hot?

markpierce said:

Wooden-covered berths seem to be extra hazardous by limiting access and increasing a fire's spread.

What happens when the boat's fire extinguishers become extremely hot?

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The docks were not covered. Or guess you just meant the dock material being wood, which these are. They are open old wooden docks.

Also points out the need of hoses/hydrants on the docks.

Was talking generalities and not the specific fire in this thread.

We don't have any covered slips in RI, but I don't want to know what it's like for a boat to burn under a roof. If it's a wooden roof, I think it would be another way for the fire to spread. Under a non combustible roof, the heat and the smoke would be reflected down and intense and unbearable.

slowandsteady said:

We don't have any covered slips in RI, but I don't want to know what it's like for a boat to burn under a roof. If it's a wooden roof, I think it would be another way for the fire to spread. Under a non combustible roof, the heat and the smoke would be reflected down and intense and unbearable.

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In most places today, covered slips are required to have openings in the roofs in addition to being metal. Many older boathouses do exist on lakes though and they virtually insure the fire will spread rapidly.

I would have thought that a covered commercial dock be required to have a sprinkler system. Not much help on fuel fires, but it could help minimize damages I would think.

Rambler said:

I would have thought that a covered commercial dock be required to have a sprinkler system. Not much help on fuel fires, but it could help minimize damages I would think.

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Only have seen one in my life that was sprinklered and it's one that is actually a building rather than just a shed type covering.