Your outboard catches fire. What would you do?

Nos4r2 · 07 January 2009, 13:07

Someone mentioned this on another forum and it occurred to me that I don't actually have a clue what to do if this happened. Suggestions?

PeterM · 07 January 2009, 13:19

Daft answer - jump off boat & start swimming away ( i've seen it done)

Sensible answer - call a quick mayday ( you can always cancel it & if it goes really wrong the boys in big orange boat are on thier way - you'll probably need a tow anyway !) .If you can , turn off the electrics & get the petrol pipe off ( cut or pull hard ! ) - get the fire extingusher ( which is of course easily to hand

) try & spray it in the inlet of the cowl. If it doesnt work that way - either stand at the other end of the boat , or keep trying if it seems to be working until its out / or the cowl melts & you can get it proper ( by which time you extingusher is probably empty).

Thats my best guess - what you are supposed to do is probably something differant

codprawn · 07 January 2009, 13:27

Fire extinguisher? A bucket would work better and there tends to be plenty of stuff around to fill it with.............................

Poly · 07 January 2009, 13:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Someone mentioned this on another forum and it occurred to me that I don't actually have a clue what to do if this happened. Suggestions?

Here would be my plan - not saying its right - just what I would currently do:

Turn off engine at ignition
Get all crew as far from engine as possible
Hit red DSC distress button on radio if fitted
Disconnect the fuel line (mine unclips at tank)
Discharge fire extinguisher in through engine air intake assuming fire not so bad that getting close is not possible, (do not remove the engine cover).
Make voice distress call to CG (or if fire out it might be to downgrade the mayday to a panpan).
If suspect electical fault isolate battery (accessed at front of console)
Drop anchor if sensible to do so, and await rescue.
If fire gets worse consider dumping fuel cans overboard (with vents sealed) or even going overboard myself.

Cypman · 07 January 2009, 13:38

Use the Fire Extinguisher that, as a really competent boater, you have always had on your RIB for just such a situation !!!!!
Seriously though, fight the fire for ONLY as long as it is safe to do so, fires fuelled by petrol usually develop very quickly and can easily result in an explosion which is very likely to cause serious injury.
Consequently, and depending on the specific situation, it is often necessary to consider "abandoning ship" and distancing persons from the hazard if other conditions are favourable.
Obvously, an early PAN/PAN or MAYDAY call should also be considered.
Every incident is different and actions will depend on the actual situation at the time.
Finally, prevention is the best option, make sure all fuel is properly stored and managed and that all possible spark sources (Electrical and Naked Flame) are eradicated. Fire at sea IS a nightmare !!!!!
Hopefully, a professional firefighter might comment on this issue.

samt · 07 January 2009, 13:52

It was featured on a sea safety cd that I recieved from the RNLI once. Will try and find it.

samt · 07 January 2009, 13:55

Found it online:

http://www.rnli.org.uk/upload/comple..._up_safety.htm

click on the black rib, bottom right. Then click navigate, emergencies, then fire.

Theres some nice videos if you click 'firefighting'.

Nos4r2 · 07 January 2009, 14:08

Ok, given what the RNLI say,

1) How many of us have a CO2 extinguisher onboard? I don't -mine's dry powder and I doubt it'd work very well like that(though now looking for a small CO2 to replace the powder)

2) How do you get to the air intake like that on a pitching and rolling boat without going in yourself?

prairie tuber · 07 January 2009, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Fire extinguisher? A bucket would work better and there tends to be plenty of stuff around to fill it with.............................

You are joking about using water on a gas fire... I hope!

Stoo · 07 January 2009, 14:39

I believe most outboard fires are the result of leaking oil etc. coating the block and then igniting when the block gets very hot or there is an short of some kind. This happened to a guy I know who had an old beater mariner 60 years ago. If the engine is kept clean, the risk of a fire is pretty small I imagine...

I little "Gunk" can go a long way...

PeterM · 07 January 2009, 15:23

Going off the subject slightly I would guess most fires are electrical related & that real petrol fires are rarer ? If you look at car fires I think you will find most are electrical - take away the source - ie the electricity & cool it & it 'shoulld' go out .

Goodpoint on the outboard vents - they are a bugger to get to at the best of times ! Let alone if they are on fire !

Nos4r2 · 07 January 2009, 15:59

Actually, most engine fires I've seen on cars/bikes are from either fuel (spitbacks from a faulty ignition system,gunk in float needles causing spillage from overflows etc) or contamination on the engine (oil and brake fluid spillages etc).

An outboard shouldn't get hot enough to ignite anything under the cover unless there's a major cooling failure,stray sparks and a fuel leak or (as happened to Neil McCrirrick recently) a major mechanical failure.

neil.mccrirrick · 07 January 2009, 16:22

Mine was a small fire that I was lucky enough to be able to blow out, you get the idea of how small now, due to something as yet to be determined, making a hole in the carb manifold, which I guess ignited the fuel and luckily quickly went out. When I opened the cowling the rubber on the manifold was still burning as was the cowling.

Top tips though are

Never open the cowling if you think there is a fire, it will make it worse.

Coast guard recommended fire extinguisher through the air intake, which does make sense, but I agree how practical is that, and would you want to lean over an engine you thought was on fire?

I think the best bet would be to remove the fuel line, have a fire extinguisher on board and sit with your eye on your engine, form the opposite end of your boat waiting for the coast guard to come.

When they arrive, if the flames have not burned through the cowling and allowed you to use your extinguisher, (if safe to do so), pass it to them and ask them to trot off round the back of your engine and spray in the inlet.

They will be towing you home, so I guess they will want to be assured your safe to tow before they do!

Leapy · 07 January 2009, 16:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil.mccrirrick

I think the best bet would be to remove the fuel line

Personally, I won't be going anywhere near a fuel line if the engine's on fire

let alone remove it

Nos4r2 · 07 January 2009, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leapy

Personally, I won't be going anywhere near a fuel line if the engine's on fire

let alone remove it

I doubt disconnecting it from the tank end of a remote tank or shutting it off on a fuel tap would do more harm than good. I don't think I'd want to remove the engine connector though.

Leapy · 07 January 2009, 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I doubt disconnecting it from the tank end of a remote tank or shutting it off on a fuel tap would do more harm than good. I don't think I'd want to remove the engine connector though.

Nos...I guess where I'm at is if something can go wrong to allow an engine to catch fire, something else might go wrong with fuel connectors too. Shit happens. If you're on fire in a confined space would you want to mess with an accelerant? Would you're time not be better spent trying to exclude the oxygen rather than the fuel?

Like in all these things it's all a matter of the circumstances at the time. Hopefully, this debate will educate us all in taking the right steps, although there's probably no one-size-fits-all

Bigmuz7 · 07 January 2009, 16:57

I dont see why throwing water at it would be so bad I wouldnt aim to disconnect a fuel line so quick either, spilled fuel is a much greater recipe for disaster when theres naked flames about. Either way, I'd keep the engine and back end of the boat well doused. Many wont carry a bucket or such things but someone will have a boot or something which would work just as well ,or a pump bailer which you could use in reverse, to pump water at it from the sea

Jeff · 07 January 2009, 17:12

................ been there ! Explosion and fire

Water does not work ( in these .... particular circumstances anyway)

A pal's Optimax decided to have a fuel leak (so we found out afterwards) - it started fine at the slip, he motored out and then the engine died; he then tried to re-start 3 or 4 times (pumping high pressure fuel into the bottom cowl) then > boom

a real explosion
It blew off the rear lock assembly and bounced the cowling on its mounts, flames minating from the intake and down the leg- a brave (?)crew member pulled off the cowling and then threw several buckets of sea water over the block. This did nothing but waft the flames which then reappeared. He had no fire extinguisher having removed it previously, but fortunately, being near a pontoon with other RIbs around ( I was making a couragous exit out to sea with mine !) one kind soul motored over and with two blasts of his powder extinguisher all was well !
- my mate was still searching for the extinguisher under his seat not realising he didn't have one when Mr Hero with extinguisher appeared !

Since then we have both re-invested in extinguishers and mounted them so they are easily accessible
Jeff

Nos4r2 · 07 January 2009, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leapy

Nos...I guess where I'm at is if something can go wrong to allow an engine to catch fire, something else might go wrong with fuel connectors too. Shit happens. If you're on fire in a confined space would you want to mess with an accelerant? Would you're time not be better spent trying to exclude the oxygen rather than the fuel?

Like in all these things it's all a matter of the circumstances at the time. Hopefully, this debate will educate us all in taking the right steps, although there's probably no one-size-fits-all

That's a fair comment I guess. Personally I'd be trying to disconnect the tanks at some point so I could throw them overboard if I couldn't put the engine out though.

There's very little under a cowl to burn apart from fuel and 2 stroke/engine oil-so hopefully nothing that would necessitate jumping overboard once the electrics are isolated.

codprawn · 07 January 2009, 18:18

Funny how the fire brigade always manage to put burning cars out with plain water..........

The best thing to use has been banned - a Halon extinguisher. The green ones that you used to see on every public service vehicle.

It literally smothered the fire - a 1kg Halon was better than a 10kg CO2 and much better in the open air.

Personally I carry 2x 2l foam extinguishers - I won't go near dry powder - it will wreck any engine. I know I have seen a few that have been destroyed by the stuff.

I always carry a load of 2L bottles of drinking water with me in the car - i have put out a burning motorbike using them and they saved my Alfa once. The brake fluid resevoir blew off and the brake fluid went all over the exhaust manifold. There was loads of flame. Only had the car 3 days. I lifted the bonnet from the side and started chucking loads of water onto the flames. I also had to pour water down the insulation on the bonnet as that had caught as well.

I still don't know what caused the brake fluid resevoir to blow off - the only lasting damage was 1 wire which needed a bit of tape around it. I still have the car and it did me another 150,000 miles no problems at all.