Boat fire NJ

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,

Boat bursts into flames at Wildwood, NJ marina

 

[psneeld]

Used to be one of my old marinas for a couple years. Big marina and the docks are so long there were many questions by other marinas how they were allowed to build them without special permission.

 

[twistedtree]

Sounds like the Joisey of my yout.

 

[slowgoesit]

Article stated:

"Once the boat sank, the burning fuel rose to the surface of the water and started to spread towards other docks. So they had to form a foam blanket around that burning fuel to prevent extension to any other docks or boats," said Dunn."

Was this boat diesel, or gasoline? "Burning fuel rose to the surface of the water" sounds like gasoline, but at 42', I would have thought the boat was diesel powered . . . .

 

[Mako]

That sudden of a fire sounds like a propane issue, but the article doesn’t state

 

[Mac2]

Article stated:

"Once the boat sank, the burning fuel rose to the surface of the water and started to spread towards other docks. So they had to form a foam blanket around that burning fuel to prevent extension to any other docks or boats," said Dunn."

Was this boat diesel, or gasoline? "Burning fuel rose to the surface of the water" sounds like gasoline, but at 42', I would have thought the boat was diesel powered . . . .

Diesel floats too. I’ve heard spraying dawn soap on the floating diesel makes it sink-this is illegal. Im next to a busy fuel dock and regularly see the floating diesel. To bad someone hasn’t invented a legal spray to neutralize the diesel.

 

[psneeld]

I think there was already a fuel based fire at the surface and the rising fuel fed it.

Not sure how a gas/diesel fire underwater exists (unless so hot it is chemically changing water into O2 and H as in magnesium cutting torches) but it does surface and if enough heat/ignition exists to keep going.

 

[rslifkin]

If there was burning fiberglass and possibly fuel on the surface, I'd certainly expect the fire to be hot enough that fuel rising up immediately next to it could ignite regardless of gas or diesel.

 

[Capn Bob]

It’s very difficult to get diesel fuel to explode…don’t ask me how I know.

But I’ve personally witnessed a vintage Chris Craft explode in lower New York Bay many years ago. We called the Coast Guard at once, and headed for the site of the sinking. As we were in an old steel L-boat, the USCG arrived first in their 44-footers. The Coasties told us that there were 2 couples aboard. One man threw his cigar stub onto the deck which somehow wound up in the bilge, and the trapped gasoline-air mixture exploded. The deck, most of the cabin and all aboard were thrown into the air, and the hull burned and then sank. One was killed, and another was very seriously burned. Some boaters are unaware of the extremely explosive nature of gasoline, and on a boat unlike automobiles spilled gasoline doesn’t easily evaporate in the bilge. It’ll stay there and create a an extremely hazardous fuel-air mixture, unless properly vented and blown free of the bilge

 

[psneeld]

Gasoline has an upper explosive limit of 7.6% and a lower explosive limit of 1.4%.. This means that an explosion can only occur when the fuel concentration is within these limits. If the fuel-air concentration is below the lower explosive limit, there is not enough fuel in the air to sustain a fire or an explosion, and if it is above the upper explosive limit, there is not enough oxygen to sustain a fire or an explosion.

from Microsoft Bing

 

[Capn Bob]

Gasoline has an upper explosive limit of 7.6% and a lower explosive limit of 1.4%.. This means that an explosion can only occur when the fuel concentration is within these limits. If the fuel-air concentration is below the lower explosive limit, there is not enough fuel in the air to sustain a fire or an explosion, and if it is above the upper explosive limit, there is not enough oxygen to sustain a fire or an explosion.

from Microsoft Bing

Yep, and that's why you might get away with something stupid around gasoline a hundred times, then on try number 101 BOOM! When I was 12, I saw a gas pump jockey (NJ still mandates them) gas up a car with a cigarette in his mouth. Finished filling the car which then drove off. He then took a drag on his cigarette- we saw the ash on the end of his cigarette glow bright red- then whoom! He was engulfed in flames from head to toe. The fuel-air mixture was, unfortunately for him, just right. He survived, but was in the hospital for 14 months.

I often see people gassing up their cars with a cigarette in their mouth, and I recall that horrible scene. I'll drive off until they are gone.

 

[BruceK]

Gasoline has an upper explosive limit of 7.6% and a lower explosive limit of 1.4%.. This means that an explosion can only occur when the fuel concentration is within these limits. If the fuel-air concentration is below the lower explosive limit, there is not enough fuel in the air to sustain a fire or an explosion, and if it is above the upper explosive limit, there is not enough oxygen to sustain a fire or an explosion.

from Microsoft Bing

From the story of the MV Siva(AVIS spelt backwards) explosion in Sydney many years ago. The boat was docked on an auxiliary engine, refuelled with gasoline, and motored away from the dock whereupon the main was started.
Bang!
The skipper reported the "sniffer" indicated safe before leaving the dock. Theory was that moving the boat changed the concentration from safe (?too rich) to explosive.
The consequences, explosion, fire, death and injury, were horrible. Gasoline powered boats with decks are a red flag for me. Hopefully FI has helped reduce leaks. And detection devices have improved.

 

[Capn Bob]

I know it’s a personal choice, but after seeing that gasoline-powered cruiser explode, I won’t consider owning one. I have always sought diesel-powered boats, except for dinghies or small open boats

 

[TowLou]

Just think if it happened this week the firefighter convention is going on down there….