Fire on dive boat Conception in CA

[ijdod]

‘Conception’ Safety Video Shows Tight Quarters of Bunk Room, Escape Hatch

Nice and clear video. I have to admit that this made me somewhat reconsider that escape hatch. It doesn't actually look as bad as my first impressions were, from a 'could I get out' perspective. Which is not the same as 'appropriate for >30 passengers'.

 

[Tuttlet]

‘Conception’ Safety Video Shows Tight Quarters of Bunk Room, Escape Hatch

I note there was at least one "Emergency Escape Window" in the Conception-produced safety video (at 0:30). In the cabin, port side just aft of the galley. It's not shown how it functions, nor if any/all of the other windows had this function. Showed another escape option, but sadly a moot point in this case.

I was also reading about general causes of marine fires, and almost none of them list battery charging of devices. It would be good if this relatively new and serious hazard were regulated before becoming a major fire category.

 

[chris kippax]

The most common fires on boats would have to be
Engine oil/hydraulic oil
Cooking oil
Electrical components
Sprinklers are the last thing you would want.

 

[Steelyeyes]

The most common fires on boats would have to be
Engine oil/hydraulic oil
Cooking oil
Electrical components
Sprinklers are the last thing you would want.

Engine oil/hydraulic oil--engine room. They used a CO2 flood system there.
Cooking oil-- galley, use a fire extinguisher for that one. Usually won't catch fire when no cooking is going on.
Electrical components-- spread out over the vessel but mostly in engineering, pilothouse, and the battery charging area. De-energize and maybe use CO2 portable extinguisher.
Berthing areas have foam or some other mattresses, clothing, fabric curtains, wood trim and bunk frames. Water would be your go to extinguishing agent there.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

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Please be kind when you post here remember the special rules and consider families, friends and survivors who are reading this. Consider Accidents and Incident Threads: Victim Perspective

We can not determine the cause here but discussing possibilities may help to prevent future tragedies.

34 Casualties DNA identified

• SB Sheriff Brown (Coroner) states probable COD smoke inhalation
• last victim found 11 Sept

Conception compliant met or exceeded applicable USCG requirements on last inspection implies approved; fire alarms, fire fighting equipment and escape routes

• Grandfathered for inspection requirements. Discussion here
• USCG issue Safety Information Bulletin 10 Sept 2019
  
• Certificate of Inspection here

NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) Preliminary Report
Preliminary Report: Marine DCA19MM047
Discussion points

• concludes all crew sleeping
• Statement in Preliminary Report says it may contain errors

Anchor Watch

• Captain's responsibilities
  
• Regulations
  
• Anchor watch process discussion
• People from prior trips reported meeting the "watchman" at various times during night

Rough time line as reported

• night dive time? commonly done by passengers; NO night dive by Crew
  
• 2:30 crew member finished up in the galley verified heating elements were out and cold etc. Then went upstairs to bed. Not indicated if this was the designated Anchor Watch see
  
• Between 3 and 3:14, a crew member awoke hearing a bang. He attempted to go down to investigate but stairs already afire.
• 5 crew were in the wheelhouse two levels above the berth area. 1 crew member in the berth below did not survive.
• crew jumped to deck, one broke leg other undisclosed ankle injuries
• Captain first Mayday from Bridge documented 3:14
• crew tried to reach the passengers from aft passage into the salon/galley then via forward front windows
  
• forced from the boat by the fire some swam aft to the dingy & brought it alongside to rescue injured crew
  
• sought help from nearby vessel Grape Escape Another Mayday call.

Most suspected causes of fire discussed

• charging batteries either in the Galley or possibly berth area
• Dept of Fire Protection Engineering, U of Maryland video
  
• electrical fires are often a factor
  
• boat fires DO burn quickly
• electrical wiring faults inside walls can smolder for hours before bursting into flame
• Boat USA Foundation boat fire video

Battery discussions here

Original location of fire not yet established

• former owner believes it started in passenger berth area
• some believe it started in galley/salon area

Conception's layout and facilities

• all electric no propane or other fuel used for cooking
• Nitrox = Nuvair Membrane
• NO banked Oxygen
• all O2 First aid tanks or stage bottles were aft (last to burn)
• Conception Safety Video link
  
• Post fire picture
• News footage raising the Conception

Exits from Dorm

• main exit - stairs to starboard forward end of the dorm to the galley/salon.
• emergency hatch above bunks at aft end of dorm exited in aft portion of the salon, just inside the passageway to the after deck.
• no locked doors to the galley, salon or berth area.

The design of berth area and escape hatches discussed extensively. It meets current USCG standards which many believe may be changed as a result of this tragedy.

Excellent DAN article Mental Health post incident

Google Map link that shows Platt Harbor and the US Coast Guard Station, Channel Islands. Ventura and Santa Barbara are to the north

Related threads

A personal perspective on California Live-aboards
Discussion of legal aspects here
Condolences posted here
Donations here

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[markmud]

The most common fires on boats would have to be
Engine oil/hydraulic oil
Cooking oil
Electrical components
Sprinklers are the last thing you would want.

Hi Chris kippax,

I think you should rethink your list.

Most of the items that you list are fuel sources. Engine oil and hydraulic oil have a very high flashpoint. They need a significant heat source to flash.

Cooking oil is in the same category.

Conception's hull material with fiberglass finish coat has a flash point that isn't much (in relative terms) higher than crankcase oil or hydraulic oil.

Electrical components have the same issue--very high flashpoints. The only difference being that electrical components are in "very" close proximity to a potential heat source, electricity.

As Bob DBF has opined, a sprinkler system would have to be combined with a bilge pumping system that could pump the sprinkled water overboard, with a significant reserve capacity.

I think the question needs to center on the heat source for the fire, not the fuel. The entire vessel was, for the most part, a fuel source.

cheers,
m

 

[lexvil]

Main deck and above berthing sounds like a good idea, until you make the channel crossing with the 30 foot swell running, not fun even on a 100 foot dive boat, did that in Thailand. Steel hull may be a good idea but since wood is still used for the fittings like bunks/tables walls etc. something else would have to accompany to suppress fire.
Sprinklers have some serious considerations to get past before viability. Prevention and early detection is still probably the best route and perhaps more accommodating escape hatches/routes.

As has been discussed California diving is different, temperature topside can swing wildly throughout the year and sometimes throughout the week, the water is consistently on the cold end of the spectrum so it will never be tourist driven unlike going tropical where everything needed can be carried in a backpack, the sheer volume of gear needed to do multiple dives is staggering, few would be willing to travel with so much stuff even if they had it.

The business model to succeed here is one of thin profit margins which is why we don’t see newer dive boats I bet, I imagine the payback for the cost of the boat alone would be quite long given the day to day operating expense.

I would love to have a bigger vision type boat operate out of NorCal to hit some of the rugged coastline.

 

[Wookie]

I note there was at least one "Emergency Escape Window" in the Conception-produced safety video (at 0:30). In the cabin, port side just aft of the galley. It's not shown how it functions, nor if any/all of the other windows had this function. Showed another escape option, but sadly a moot point in this case.

I was also reading about general causes of marine fires, and almost none of them list battery charging of devices. It would be good if this relatively new and serious hazard were regulated before becoming a major fire category.

As I’ve said in other places, but bears repeating, on US government owned vessels, taking on lithium batteries is a very involved process for the approval chain. I am searching desperately for a 3.6 volt d cell equivalent for our marine crane anti two block systems as that battery cannot be approved, and it isn’t even recharged. Vape pens are prohibited. Not for the health risks, but for the lithium batteries.

I was tasked with installing a fire detection system on our larger boat, and they all come with lithium batteries that are not approved.

It’s a conundrum.

 

[Wookie]

The most common fires on boats would have to be
Engine oil/hydraulic oil
Cooking oil
Electrical components
Sprinklers are the last thing you would want.

Not really. The most common boat fires are by far dryer fires. Followed by electrical. You would hope that the breaker trips putting out the electrical fire and the spray would knock down the burning mattresses, but if the fiberglass is burning, I don’t know what water does for that.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

...but if the fiberglass is burning, I don’t know what water does for that.

Actually, water works well. It’s the resin that burns not the glass. During my times working at the Napa boat yard there was one sailboat on the hard that caught fire with nobody around. The fire started inside the cabin from, you guessed it, a battery being charged for an electric drill. They let boat owners do DIY on their boats at that yard.
The yard guys couldn’t put it out with their little fire extinguishers. When the FD got there a few minutes later the first thing they did that nobody else thought of was to unplug everything going to the boat from the power post, then they went it and doused it.
Water cools burning resin and smothers it out.
I’ve actually had to fix quite a bit of fire damage on boats.