Why Boats Catch Fire

[Electronics Guru]

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One problem with a fire aboard a boat is that unlike a house where running across the street to escape the flames is an option, on a boat there’s no place to go but overboard. Unfortunately, this violates the second rule of boating: Stay with the boat. Ironically, if enough of what the boat is floating on can be brought into the boat, the fire can usually be put out. This, however, violates the first law of boating: Keep the water outside the boat.


) AC and DC wiring/appliance 55%

DC shorts/wiring 30%
DC engine voltage regulator 12%
AC appliance/heater 4% shore power 4%
AC wiring/panel 2%
DC battery charger 2%
AC power surge 1%

The number one cause of fires on boats are DC wiring faults. The most common electrical problem was related to wires chafing. Many fires are started by battery cables, bilge pump wires, and even instrument wires chafing on hard objects like vibrating engines or sharp-edged bulkheads.



Shore power can be a problem area as well; 11% of fires were started by the boat’s AC system, frequently at the shore power inlet. A few fires every year are caused by AC heaters and other household appliances that were brought on board. Electrical fires can be hard to put out because the source of the heat (a shorted wire) can reignite the fire even after a fire extinguisher has been used, which is why your boat must have a main battery switch and/or AC breaker to turn off the boat’s entire electrical system.