Fire

wavecrosschris · 22 February 2007, 17:57

Poor old Princess...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncountie...allery.shtml?1

codprawn · 22 February 2007, 18:09

I know the RNLI aren't firemen but surely something could have been done? They just chose to let it burn itself out.

Nos4r2 · 22 February 2007, 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I know the RNLI aren't firemen but surely something could have been done? They just chose to let it burn itself out.

Like what? The crew were removed-no sense in wasting RNLI crewmen's lives boarding a burning boat that no doubt had gas cylinders,flares and petrol cans aboard...

wavecrosschris · 22 February 2007, 20:32

and about 600 quids worth of diesel LOL

codprawn · 22 February 2007, 21:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Like what? The crew were removed-no sense in wasting RNLI crewmen's lives boarding a burning boat that no doubt had gas cylinders,flares and petrol cans aboard...

You could say that about any garage or even house - many people have a calor gas fire or similar in their homes - and aerosols and all sorts of nasties.

I thought lifeboats carried fire fighting equipment???

Poly · 22 February 2007, 22:59

Cod:

1. As you said the RNLI are not the fire brigade. Whilst I am sure they carry basic fire fighting equipment and have basic training in fire fighting they are volunteers whose principal role is to save lives at sea. Compared to fire fighters who are there to protect life and property and (except in some rural areas) are normally dedicated full time professionals.

2. No fire fighter would have entered a confined space with 600 L of diesel, and gas cylinders just to save the "property". In that case they would fight from the outside at a "safe" distance.

3. Fire fighters would be wearing breathing apparatus if they did have to enter a confined space such as that in order to save life. As far as I know the RNLI do not carry BA kit for such an eventuality. I also suspect RNLI dry suits are more likely to shrink wrap you in a fire than protect from heat.

4. Confined space on a boat is potentially more dangerous than on land as getting off the boat is harder - on land you can at least run like hell if you think it is going to go bang.

4. If it was well alight when they arrived as reported in the MCGA press release, the prospects of the boat being anything other than a total right off would be pretty low anyway (I would suggest this is the case for any fire on a fibreglass boat of this size once fire has spread beyond the engine room).

5. It takes a lot of water to put out a well seated fire. Probably would have sunk her anyway.

Glad to hear everyone got off safely; hopefully it was well insured.

Jono · 23 February 2007, 07:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

........ It takes a lot of water to put out a well seated fire......

Certainly does in the West Mids...

Cod..stop talking bollix!

Jono · 23 February 2007, 07:59

Ok…so this is how I reckon the conversation would have gone if there had been a Fire crew on board the life boat….

NEE-NAH-NEE-NAH……….

OIC - “Ok, Boys BA on, Hose reel in through the cabin whilst we rig up a main jet on 70mm…”

Crew - “OK Boss! Whereabouts and how many persons reported? “

OIC - “ None Lads, the crew are all accounted for and safe away…”

Crew- “ Err Boss? You want us to go on board that floating bomb and there’s no one on board at risk….?

OIC -“ Yes,yes that’s right! I want you to go on board that precariously floating vessel made of an oil by-product, containing LPG cylinders and a few hundred gallons of fuel wearing your flame retardant kit and BA sets that are sure to drag you to the bottom if the vessel sinks or you fall in, So Chop, Chop! “

Crew – “ Err Boss?”…. **THWACK**…..

Jono Garton · 23 February 2007, 08:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I know the RNLI aren't firemen but surely something could have been done? They just chose to let it burn itself out.

RNLI are their to save life, not boats.

Jono

Alex Brown · 23 February 2007, 17:37

I suppose they could have got one of the tugs like Tenax to drop on by and give the boat a good soaking, but that would have probably sunk it anyway, plus also the journey time to get there.

I've often wondered before what would happen if you had a large boat like that catch fire in a marina amongst other boats of the same type.... it's the sort of thing you may see on tv like Casualty, but thankfully not something you see in marinas that often. Would you throw a large grappling hook from a tug and just haul it away?

-Alex

codprawn · 23 February 2007, 18:32

Well I would have been tempted to get on board and claim salvage. It is suprising how many boats these days are just abandoned and not just to fires - I suppose it has a lot to do with the value of your insurance........

Powerboats · 23 February 2007, 18:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Well I would have been tempted to get on board and claim salvage. It is suprising how many boats these days are just abandoned and not just to fires - I suppose it has a lot to do with the value of your insurance........

Well even if you did put the fire out it would probably fold like a book when you try and lift it out of the water cos all the internal structure will be toast!!

Mugshot · 23 February 2007, 20:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Well I would have been tempted to get on board and claim salvage.

From some of the replies I've seen to your posts, I think there may be a fair few that would actively encourage you do so.

Aidan · 23 February 2007, 21:03

Scuttle it, tag it and refloat it.

This is a good reason for people to carry Fire (foam) Extinguishers, cutters for the Positive lead from Battery in your car.

You may one day be unfortunate enough to arrive on a Car crash site with the occupant stuck in the car and it starting to catch fire.
Your choice could be:
Watch them Burn to death,
Go for help knowing they will burn to death,
Put the fire out and cut the Battery cable to prevent re ignition and comfort the occupant whose life you just saved (Let alone the nightmare that you have been saved from for the rest of your life knowing you could not save them).

Just a thought, carry a cutters and big enough Foam fire extinguisher

codprawn · 23 February 2007, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aidan

Scuttle it, tag it and refloat it.

This is a good reason for people to carry Fire (foam) Extinguishers, cutters for the Positive lead from Battery in your car.

You may one day be unfortunate enough to arrive on a Car crash site with the occupant stuck in the car and it starting to catch fire.
Your choice could be:
Watch them Burn to death,
Go for help knowing they will burn to death,
Put the fire out and cut the Battery cable to prevent re ignition and comfort the occupant whose life you just saved (Let alone the nightmare that you have been saved from for the rest of your life knowing you could not save them).

Just a thought, carry a cutters and big enough Foam fire extinguisher

Funnily enough I did come across a situation like this a few weeks ago. I came across a VW Golf on it's side and nose down on the middle of a roundabout. The car was still rocking and wedged in bushes and rocks at the top. I could hear people screaming so went to assist, It was 2am and nobody else around. The engine bay was smoking and steaming - a small fire had broken out - obviously from the battery but there was no chance of me opening the bonnet or even getting to the fire. I phoned 999 straight away but it was a nightmare - 1st thing was to get them out which is a bit difficult when you are talking to some idiot who asks you what the postcode for the roundabout is!!!!!!!

It is suprising how heavy a car door can be when you are trying to open it vertically. There were 4 teenagers in the car - decent ones for a change. The 2 front seat passengers were fine and they came out quick enough but getting the back ones out was harder. Obviously they hadn't been wearing seatbelts and were in a bit worse shape. Forget trying to asses their injuries etc - they just wanted to get out of there and I don't blame them. In the end I had to pull them up and over my shoulder to get them out.

Luckily there was only a very pretty blonde girl with a broken leg and a boy with some cracked ribs - good job I didn't have to do 1st aid - I would have fainted!!! Fair play it didn't take long for the emergency services to turn up - a paramedic was first followed by a fire engine - 3 ambulances and 5 police cars!!! Mind you it was a Saturday night!!!

By this time a big crowd had arrived - turned out there were about 6 people on their mobiles calling 999 - after the event......

I slipped away as quick as I could - was really ill with flu anyway. In fairness the girl's father had turned up and came over to thank me. I know what it's like to be upside down in a car in pitch black after a high speed crash - what else could I have done?

How the hell the driver managed it I will never know - don't think he had been drinking or on drugs - the roundabout is in the middle of a busy dual carriageway. Probably distracted by the drunks in the back - it's easily done.

Gray · 25 February 2007, 21:10

There was the sailing boat the burnt out in Ocean Village recently, started from a cabin heater whilst the crew were ashore having dinner. I believe the gas canister exploded.

I was involved with lifting it out the next day and had to stand on deck and hold it in the hoist dock whilst the slings were put in the right place. There was virtually no deck left to it and definately no roof to the cabin area. What deck was left was not strong enough to stand on, I had to walk around on the toe rail to the bow where there was a small amount of strong deck. It wasn't a pretty sight, completely gutted the inside, even took out most of the bulkheads. Thankfully it didnt snap in half when we lifted it but I was definately glad to climb off!

The boat that caught fire at Shamrock Quay, Southampton last year wasn't as badly damaged but the inside was gutted with bulkheads damaged, however, I believe this is in the process of being rebuilt!

Nos4r2 · 25 February 2007, 22:12

In the early 80's I saw a large-ish (30-40') petrol engined Princess or Sunseeker or the like go up like a bomb at Poole fuel barge. Not quite sure what it was-the sheet of flame was what made me look but there wasn't a lot of superstructure visible after that.

They untied it and pushed it away (don't blame them!). The wreck was still just afloat the next day-moored near Aunt Betty and burnt to the waterline.

codprawn · 26 February 2007, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

In the early 80's I saw a large-ish (30-40') petrol engined Princess or Sunseeker or the like go up like a bomb at Poole fuel barge. Not quite sure what it was-the sheet of flame was what made me look but there wasn't a lot of superstructure visible after that.

They untied it and pushed it away (don't blame them!). The wreck was still just afloat the next day-moored near Aunt Betty and burnt to the waterline.

Ahh now petrol is a very different matter!!!

alt · 26 February 2007, 23:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

RNLI are their to save life, not boats.

Jono

You beat me to it!

andyxs · 27 February 2007, 14:24

i remember reading about a fire in a marina it set the boat imediatly next to it on fire but the marina staff managed to move the boats near to it away and i think the fire brigade then fought the fire in situe. personaly i wouldnt like to tow a burning boat through a marina hard enough towing a boat through a marina with steering. much easyer when you can run away down marina and acces it from 3 sides.