b'SAFETY MATTERSSAFETYNTSB Issues Report on 2023 Fireon M/V Spirit of Boston ERIC CHRISTENSEN // PVA DIRECTOR OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS & RISK MANAGEMENTI n a recently published report, thetrained in marine firefighting, they allwith the chafing fuel heating canisters NationalTransportationSafetyevacuated the vessel to the pier. Theindifferentpositions,todetermine Board (NTSB) found an improp- local fire department responded andthe origin and cause of the fire aboard erlyextinguishedchafingfuelheat- extinguishedthefire.Over70win- the M/V Spirit of Boston. ingcanister,usedtokeepfoodanddows were broken as the firefighters beverages warm, led to a fire on theventilated the vessel. Basedontheirtestingandanalysis, passenger vessel M/V Spirit of Bostonaswellasphysicalevidence,witness in March 2023 while moored at theTHE INVESTIGATION statements,andvideorecordings, Commonwealth Pier in Boston Har- The NTSB worked with U.S. Coastthe ATF released an origin and cause bor.While there were no injuries, theGuard investigators, Alcohol Tobaccoreport in July 2024. In its report, the fire resulted in $3.1 million in damageand Firearms (ATF) fire investigators,ATF concluded that the fire area of to the vessel. marinesurveyors,andotherprivateorigin was the aft side deck of the deck fire investigators to determine the ori- one wait station under a plastic glass-THE INCIDENT gin and cause of the fire.ware rolling cart stored next to a trash On the evening of March 24, 2023,can along the aft bulkhead outboard. theM/VSpiritofBoston,operatedInvestigators examined the deck oneThe ATF report stated that the fire by City Cruises U.S., had completedwait station as an area of interest duewas caused by the accidental disposal ascheduleddinnercruise,andtheto the extent of damage in this spaceof achafing fuel container under marinecrewmembers,includingtheand statements from hospitality stafftherollingplasticglasswarerackin captain, had departed the vessel, leav- andtherespondingfiredepartmenttheportaftwaitstaffstation.The ing the hospitality staff to clean andabout the location of the fire.report stated that the fire consumed preparethevesselforthenextdaysthe plastic glassware rolling carts and cruise. During the clean-up, the staffATF fire investigators X-rayed a melt- progressed from the deck one wait sta-extinguishedchafingfuelheatingedmassofdebristhatwasremovedtion, ignited the stored portable flota-canisterscanned heat used to keepfrom the area where plastic glasswaretion devices, and spread heat, smoke, foodandbeverageswarmthrough- rolling carts had been. They found sev- andfirethroughoutdeckone.The outthedinnercruise.Accordingtoeral metal utensils, such as knives andATF classified the fire as accidental. theNTSBreport,thestaffdidnotspoons,throughoutthemass.They consistentlyextinguishthechafingalso found a chafing fuel heating can- PROBABLE CAUSE fuelheatingcanistersinaccordanceister; they determined the canister wasTheNTSBdeterminedthatthe with the manufacturers instructions,located on its side, up against the aftprobablecauseofthisaccidentwas which stated recommended that theybulkhead, under the plastic glasswaretheimproperextinguishinganddis-use the canister cap or a snuffer paddlecartnearesttothetrashcan.Below,posal of a chafing fuel heating canis-to extinguish the flame.see the visual marked Figure 16 in theter due to City Cruises U.S.s lack of NTSB Report. documented procedures for handling At about 2252 local time, a fire brokeopen-flame devices, which led to the out in the wait station near the galleyThe ATF conducted fire pattern anal- ignition of a plastic glassware rolling on deck one. Since there were no ma- ysis and fire research testing, duringrack. Contributing to the growth and rine crewmembers aboard, and nonewhichtheyrecreatedthefirescenespreadofthefirewasCityCruises of the 16 hospitality staff aboard wereandranseveraltestsandscenariosU.S.notrequiringamarinecrew-FOGHORN 36'