What to do in a boat fire

Just last week, a 45-foot motor cruiser dramatically burned to the waterline and sank near Queensland’s Moreton Island with no way of controlling the blaze’s spread.

Dramatic video shot by Queensland Police, which arrived on the scene to assist, show the fibreglass vessel well alight with little remaining above the waterline.

Of course, the best way to stop a fire is to prevent it from happening in the first place. But sometimes, fire will unexpectedly break out and take hold.

Here are the steps you should take if a fire ever breaks out on your boat.

First of all, ensure everyone on board the boat knows that a fire has broken out on board. As soon as everyone is aware, start working through your emergency plan.

This should include ensuring everyone on board grabs and puts on a life jacket and attempting to contact rescue authorities or other boats to come to your aid.

Use whatever is at hand, everything from the VHF radio to make a mayday call, pushing the radio’s DSC button, setting off the EPIRB or personal beacon, or even using a mobile phone to dial 000.

Gather everyone on a safe part of the boat where there’s the least risk of being exposed to flames.

An effective way to stop the spread of a fire is to turn the boat so that the part of it that is on fire is in the lee of the wind.

Having the fire pointing into the wild will fan the flames, making it hotter and allowing it to spread faster than if the flames were not fanned by the wind.

Fire spreads towards oxygen, so shutting off doors and hatches will help to confine it to an area of the boat rather than helping it to spread.

This will also help to create zones that the fire will need to break through before it can start to spread.

If the fire is confined to a single object, it may be worth attempting to toss it over the side of the boat. Of course, if it is an object such as a plastic fuel tank or a gas bottle, that option is not available.

If you can get the main source of the fire over the side of the boat, it will be easier top bring what is left under control.

Boats with engines will have fire extinguishers fitted. Use them, focussing the stream of the fie retardant they will spray out at the base of the fire rather than into the flames.

You can also sometimes extinguish a fire by throwing a fire blanket over it.

Don’t use water on the fire while you’re still on the boat. If fuel leaks, it can remain alight and float on top of the water, making the situation even more dangerous.

Fuel is often fed to the engines under pressure, so if a fuel line ruptures it can spray fuel out in a fine mist, making it potentially explosive.

Engines will have isolator switches that can shut off fuel lines near their source, making them much safer in the event of a fire taking hold and rupturing the lines.

If your fuel is in a tote tank or jerry can, it may be safer to disconnect and pitch them overboard than leave them on the boat.

Fuel fires tend to spread very quickly, so it’s probably wiser to abandon the boat rather than try and save it.

Nothing is worse than thinking you’ve put out a fire only to see it flare up again moments later when you least expect it.

While you may have put out the main fire, hot spots in places where you can’t see them could simmer away and flare up when you least expect it.

Think of a tree stump fire that has been extinguished; while the stump is cold, below the ground the fire is still slowly spreading through its roots.

Abandoning ship is the last thing you want to do, but if the fire is taking hold and there is the risk of an explosion, it may be the only choice you have.

Always throw a liferaft or jump off a burning boat into the wind. If you jump off the leeward side, smoke, embers and potentially any burning fuel floating on the water’s surface will be pushed towards you.

Likewise, if you’re approaching a burning boat, stay upwind so that the vessel on fire does not drift into you.

It’s pretty easy to tell when a boat is on fire, as they usually burn with thick, black smoke as any fibreglass or plastic fittings incinerate.

Always approach the burning boat from upwind, and keep your distance; the radiating heat of a burning boat could be very intense and hot enough to give you burns.

If you suspect the fire is being fed by the boat’s fuel, keep a respectable distance away in case something onboard explodes.

Always relay a distress call to ensure that the relevant rescue authorities are aware of the situation and responding.