Fire on Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy, Miami, Florida ...
Fire on Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy, Miami, Florida ...
Fire on Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy, Miami, Florida ...
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Analysis 57 Marine Accident ReportThe c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> ventilati<strong>on</strong> duct systems also supports <strong>the</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tenti<strong>on</strong> that <strong>the</strong>fire did not spread from <strong>the</strong> mooring deck to <strong>the</strong> main laundry. Had such spreadingoccurred, fire damage would have been evident in both <strong>the</strong> dryer and <strong>the</strong> mangleventilati<strong>on</strong> duct systems, since at <strong>the</strong>ir terminus <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> mooring deck <strong>the</strong>y come toge<strong>the</strong>r;<strong>the</strong>refore, both vent systems would have been equally subject to any source of fire <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong>mooring deck and equally susceptible to fire damage. This was not <strong>the</strong> case. Although <strong>the</strong>mangle’s ventilati<strong>on</strong> system exhibited extensive fire damage, <strong>the</strong> dryer’s ventilati<strong>on</strong>system was virtually unsca<strong>the</strong>d. Using fiber optic scope technology, <strong>the</strong> investigatorsdetected unburned lint inside of <strong>the</strong> dryer ventilati<strong>on</strong> system and no evidence of fire orfire-related damage. The Safety <strong>Board</strong> c<strong>on</strong>cludes that although <strong>the</strong> <strong>Ecstasy</strong>’s mooring decksustained <strong>the</strong> heaviest fire damage, it was not <strong>the</strong> point of origin for <strong>the</strong> fire.Events occurring in <strong>the</strong> main laundry room fur<strong>the</strong>r support <strong>the</strong> finding that <strong>the</strong> firedid not originate <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> mooring deck but, instead, began in <strong>the</strong> laundry room. The sec<strong>on</strong>dfitter testified that he and <strong>the</strong> first fitter were setting up welding equipment to repair <strong>the</strong>mangle in <strong>the</strong> laundry room when a welding rod that was dangling near <strong>the</strong> deck came inc<strong>on</strong>tact with ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> grounding clamp or <strong>the</strong> mangle, causing a spark. The sec<strong>on</strong>d fitteralso stated that, at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong> spark occurred, dryer lint covered <strong>the</strong> deck. Both fitterstestified that a “small” fire started <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> deck and that a fire <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> mangle and a fire in<strong>the</strong> overhead duct subsequently occurred.A cabin steward who was retrieving towels from a nearby linen closet observedsmoke in <strong>the</strong> main laundry. He said that when he went to investigate, he saw <strong>the</strong> two fittersworking <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> inboard side of <strong>the</strong> mangle and observed flames <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> outboard side of <strong>the</strong>mangle, near <strong>the</strong> exhaust vents. He said that he retrieved a fire extinguisher to fight <strong>the</strong>fire; however, when <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> fitters dumped a jug of water <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> side of <strong>the</strong> manglewhere <strong>the</strong>y were working, flames “appeared to jump up” to <strong>the</strong> overhead vent. The smokeand flames became too great for him to fight with an extinguisher, so he activated <strong>the</strong> localfire alarm at <strong>the</strong> laundry room door. The first officer c<strong>on</strong>firmed that <strong>the</strong> first fire alarm,which sounded <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> fire c<strong>on</strong>trol panel at 1710, indicated <strong>the</strong> main laundry. Alarmprintouts show, however, that <strong>the</strong> first fire alarm was automatically activated.The Safety <strong>Board</strong> found that <strong>the</strong> fire and smoke damage supported all or porti<strong>on</strong>sof <strong>the</strong> witnesses’ testim<strong>on</strong>ies. The evidence of fire in <strong>the</strong> main laundry was limited to <strong>the</strong>area of <strong>the</strong> mangle. Metallurgical analysis showed that <strong>the</strong> welding deposits <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong>grounding clamp were similar to <strong>the</strong> material in <strong>the</strong> electrode’s welding rod, whichc<strong>on</strong>firmed that <strong>the</strong> welding rod had struck <strong>the</strong> ground clamp. Examinati<strong>on</strong> of o<strong>the</strong>relectrical appliances in <strong>the</strong> laundry revealed no evidence of arcing. Moreover,investigators found no evidence of discarded smoking materials or accelerants that mighthave served as an igniti<strong>on</strong> source in <strong>the</strong> laundry. The Safety <strong>Board</strong> c<strong>on</strong>cludes that <strong>the</strong> fire<strong>on</strong> board <strong>the</strong> <strong>Ecstasy</strong> started in <strong>the</strong> main laundry and was ignited by an arc from a weldingmachine.<str<strong>on</strong>g>Fire</str<strong>on</strong>g> damage to <strong>the</strong> mangle power cables and soot deposits <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> loading end of<strong>the</strong> mangle showed that <strong>the</strong> fire spread across <strong>the</strong> floor up <strong>on</strong>to <strong>the</strong> mangle. Damage to <strong>the</strong>aft roller and melted wax from <strong>the</strong> mangle strings showed that <strong>the</strong> fire spread <strong>on</strong>to <strong>the</strong>roller. The fitters had turned off <strong>the</strong> mangle to work <strong>on</strong> it. As a result, <strong>the</strong> rollers were in a