Why Boats Catch Fire, 3) 4) 5)

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3) Fuel Leak 8%

This might be the worst kind of fire to have on a boat. Many boats carry over a hundred gallons of gasoline on board and burning fuel can be hard to extinguish (95% of fuel-related fires were caused by gasoline). Typical problem areas are fuel lines, connections on the engine itself, and leaking fuel tanks. Fortunately, the first warning sign is usually a gas smell that is easily detected by the average human nose—if you can smell raw gas, something’s wrong. Several fires were started by carelessness around gasoline; cleaning engine parts with gas, overfilling a fuel tank, and installing non-ignition-protected parts. One fire started when a member poured gas down a carburetor to start the engine. The engine backfired and caught the overhead on fire; the member jumped off the boat and ran to his house carrying the gas can, spilling gas along the way. The fire department report noted a zigzag burn pattern on the lawn up to the member’s front door. Fortunately, aside from some burned grass, there was no damage to the house (Claim #0009144). A gas leak has to be taken seriously since it has the potential to explode and destroy a boat – that’s why it’s critical to run the bilge blower for four or five minutes before starting the engine. Diesel is not immune from igniting either – one fire was started when a ruptured line sprayed fuel on a hot manifold.

4) Miscellaneous 7%

Some fires didn’t fit into any category—misdirected flares during a fishing tournament, anchoring in the wrong spot during a fireworks display, a child playing with matches, and even a case of spontaneous combustion from linseed-soaked rags. The only fire that couldn’t have been prevented by more care was one caused by lightning.


5) Unknown 5%

Occasionally, investigators can’t determine the cause of a fire. Sometimes, boats are completely destroyed and sometimes they sink, making finding the cause impossible.