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When
a fire occurs in a building, we evacuate to the safety of the
outdoors and usually turn the fire fighting over to trained
professionals. When we are at sea on our boat however, it is a
little different. Our boat is often the only safe haven for
many miles around. Because of the distances involved, fire
fighting services may be delayed in providing assistance to
you. Hence, fires are often referred to as a boat’s worst
enemy. Therefore, we must take extra precautions to prevent
fires from occurring on our boats and also know how to
extinguish them once they ignite.
Three
elements must be present for a fire to exist. These include
heat, fuel, and oxygen. When we remove any one of these
elements or disrupt the chemical reaction, the fire will be
extinguished. There are four classes or types of fires. They
are classified according to their fuel source.
The
fuel for an "A" fire includes wood, paper, or any
thing that leaves an ash. The best extinguishing agent for an
"All" fire is usually water.
The
fuel for a "B’ fire is burning liquids, such as
gasoline. The best extinguishing agent for a "B’ fire
is the application of a special extinguishing foam blanket.
Foam is usually not used by the recreational boater. Instead,
the recreational boater usually uses a dry chemical powder
extinguisher to extinguish a "B" fire. Dry chemical
extinguishes the fire by disrupting the fire’s chemical
reaction.
A
class "C" fire is the result of electrical current
igniting electrical insulation and other electrical
components. The preferred extinguishing agent for a class
"C" fire is carbon dioxide (CO2). Note that CO2 does
not conduct an electrical current whereas water does. You
should not use water to extinguish an electrical fire,
especially when circuits are charged. CO2 extinguishes a fire
by displacing the oxygen. You must be very careful not to
asphyxiate yourself when using a CO2 extinguisher while down
below or within a compartment (indoors).
A
class "D" fire includes burning metals such as
magnesium. The best extinguishing agent is to jettison them
overboard.
There
are several federal boating safety regulations which
specifically help to prevent heat (ignition sources) and fuel
from mixing. A regulation the U. S.. Coast Guard enforces,
which helps to prevent a potential heat ignition source,
requires that all vessels with an inboard gasoline engine have
a Coast Guard approved backfire flame control device mounted
on their carburetors. This device simply prevents an open
flame from entering the vessel's engine compartment and
igniting any accumulated flammable gasoline vapors. The
backfire flame control device must be securely mounted and
provide a flame-tight fit.
There
are several regulations which prohibit the accumulation of
fuel and/or vapors (gasoline) in your engine compartment and
bilges. These regulations require that vessels with
compartments that have less than 15 square inches of opening
to each cubic foot of contained compartment volume are
required to have ventilation ducting installed. The ducting is
designed to remove fuel vapors from the confined spaces of
your engine room and bilges.
In
addition to the ventilation requirements, regulations prohibit
a vessel from being operated with leaking fuel or fuel in its
bilges. It has been said that an ounce of gasoline, under the
right conditions, contains as much energy as a stick of
dynamite.
Up
until now we have been discussing regulations which help
prevent fires from occurring on your vessel. A regulation
which helps the vessel operator extinguish an existing fire on
the vessel requires all recreational vessels with enclosed
construction, or recreational vessels larger than 26 feet, to
have Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher(s) on board to be
used to fight the fire. Approved extinguishers include dry
chemical, CO2, and Halon. Fire extinguishers approved for
marine use are designated by a letter and a roman numeral. The
letter B is used to designated extinguishers used for marine
use because class "B" fires or burning
liquids are the most common fire to occur on a boat. The roman
numeral refers to the size fire the extinguisher is capable of
extinguishing. Note that some states have more restrictive
fire extinguisher requirements.
There
are many safety practices you should follow to help prevent
fires from occurring on your vessels. Gasoline vapors are
heavier than air. Therefore, when fueling we must be sure to
close all vents, doors, and hatches. This will prevent
gasoline vapors from entering your boat’s bilges and coming
into contact with a possible ignition source. If equipped, you
should operate your boat’s blower, which is a forced
ventilation system, after refueling, for at least five
minutes. Check your confined spaces with your nose, smelling
for any possible fuel vapors. When refueling, be sure to keep
the hose nozzle in contact with the fill pipe. When gasoline
is passing through a pipe it can cause a static electrical
charge to build up. A spark between the nozzle and the fill
pipe can cause an explosion. Keep your bilges free of dirty
rags, oil, paper, etc. Use extreme care when smoking
cigarettes, disposing of them correctly. Never smoke when
refueling your boat.
Due
to limited space, this article has only provided an overview
of preventing fires on your boat. I strongly encourage that
you call the US Coast Guard Customer Information Line at 1
(800) 368-5647 to find out where and when a USCG Auxiliary
Boating Skills and Seamanship Course will be offered in your
area.
Related
articles:
Firefighting
Basics for all boaters
PWC Tips - Fire
OnBoard - by Scott
Collier and
the PWC Zone.
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