Page 7 - Div Newsletter Feb 2019 FINAL APPROVED

ARTICLE

Handling Fire at Sea

By Mark N. Monroe, M.D.
FSO-DV

“FIRE” is the scariest word on a boat. There is no place to escape to and help will take too long to get there. You
have to prepare by outfitting your boat with the proper types and US Coast Guard approved fire extinguishers
determined by the boat size. The fire extinguishers should be able to handle A (wood, paper and plastics), B
(flammable liquids i.e. oils, gasoline and paints), and C (electrical) fires.

The minimum number of fire extinguishers required by US Coast Guard is as follows:

If the boat is less than 26 feet, only 1 mounted B1 fire extinguisher is required. Boats 26 to 40 feet long require
two B1s or one B2 or one B1 with an automatic fixed system. Boats 40 to 65 feet must have three B1s, or one B1
and one B2, or two B1s or one B2 with an automatic fixed system. Boats longer than 65 feet are no longer
considered small crafts. These boats require one – eight B2s plus additional requirements in the machinery
space such as automatic fire extinguishing systems. The fire extinguishers must be installed in areas where you
can get to it quickly in a bracket on the bulkhead, not in a compartment where you have to search for it.

Fire prevention includes having a working ventilation system that is used properly for 5 minutes prior to starting
engines. Your nose near the bilge is your best sensor for detecting any flammable fumes in the engine
compartment. Practice fire drills with your crew. This includes:

1. Position the boat so that the fire is downwind so as not to inhale the smoke.
2. Stop the engines and all should put on life jackets.

3. If there is a way, shut off the fuel to your engine(s). Do not open the engine compartment. Letting the oxygen
in can produce a flare up.
4. Since the average fire extinguisher only lasts 10-15 seconds, aim the fire it at the base of the flames by
sweeping back and forth. Remember P.A.S.S.:

P: Pull the pin

A: Aim at the base of fire
S: Squeeze the handle

S: Sweep side to side

5. Summon help with your VHF marine radio by calling out MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY.
The Scuttlebutt Newsletter EDITOR: Rudy Lopez Jr, SO-PB
If it’s an electrical fire and your VHF radio is out, consider having an EPIRB
D11sr Division 6 626.482.4246 rlopezjr.cgaux@gmail.com P a g e | 7
(emergency position indicating radio beacon) or PLB (personal locator beacon) or
hand-held VHF radio. Some VHF radios have an automatic emergency red button