Guernsey Harbour's marina staff recently attended and successfully extinguished an engine fire on board a RIB moored in the QE2 marina. Emergency Services and the Duty Harbour Master also attended the incident and confirmed the area safe.
There was no maintenance activity known to be taking place at the time that could have caused this fire. However, there was energy, heat, combustible material, fuel and plenty of oxygen; a perfect formulae for starting a fire.
This incident highlighted the importance of fire safety on boats, especially during the winter period when many boats are often left unattended for long periods.
Fire Safety Guidance:
Care must be taken when leaving battery chargers, dehumidifiers or heaters running over the winter period, as electrical faults have been known to cause devastating fires on boats.
If you are running a heater for long periods, it is important to ensure that you do not overload circuits and ensure suitable RCD protection.
Periodic inspections during the winter months are essential and an important part of boat ownership.
Fire Safety on Boats Leaflet [923kb]