Oily rag fire totaled $1.5 million yacht

Gig Harbor Police photograph shows fire racing through yacht prior to arrival of fire crews

Here’s one that could be filed under “always read the manufacturer’s instructions.” A National Transportation Safety Board report released this week highlighed the fire hazards of improperly stored oily rags on vessels, following an investigation into a vessel fire aboard a yacht last year. It is not the first oily rag fire investigated by the agency.

“On July 15, 2022​, the glass fiber hulled recreational yacht Pegasus caught fire while moored at the Peninsula Yacht Basin in Gig Harbor, Wash. The fire burned for about an hour before it was reported. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had engulfed the aft section of the yacht. The Pegasus, valued at about $1.5 million, was declared a total loss. No injuries were reported.

“At 0204 on July 15,” says the report, “Peninsula Yacht Basin security cameras first captured smoke and flames emanating from the aft section of the Pegasus. In the video, the fire burned for about 45 minutes before intensifying and spreading forward.

“At 0302, a bystander noticed the fire and called 911. Gig Harbor Police officers arrived at the marina at 0316, followed 4 minutes later by firefighting units. The police officers found the aft half of the Pegasus completely engulfed in flames, with the fire threatening a vessel moored nearby. Firefighters laid out fire hose from a shore plug to the end of the long pier and docks. The hose was charged, and firefighting efforts commenced at 0332 from the floating docks on the starboard side of the Pegasus. Nine minutes later, a firefighting boat arrived and started fighting the blaze from the opposite side of the vessel. A second fire hose was rigged from shore and charged, with water on the fire at 0342.”

“Firefighters knocked down the flames, but the fire was persistent and continued to flare up. At 0414, the stern of the Pegasus sank with the bow rising out of the water. The bow then slowly settled as the vessel continued to take on water. The last of the fire was extinguished at 0431, when the main deck cabin was inundated with seawater.”

The NTSB says the vessel owner and his employee told investigators that, on the day before the fire, they had been refinishing wood surfaces of the vessel using a name-brand teak oil finish. The teak oil was applied to the surfaces with a brush, and excess oil was wiped off using microfiber towels. The employee stated that, after completing the work, he wrapped the used towels in new towels, placed them in a plastic bag, and left the bag under the wood table on the aft deck of the yacht. He and the owner then left the vessel between 1600 and 1700 that same evening.

According to the report, the oil finish used by the owner and employee was sold in metal cans with the following warning printed on the label:

The product contained raw linseed oil, a substance known to be a risk for self-heating and spontaneous combustion when soaked in rags.

PROBABLE CAUSE

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the fire aboard the recreational yacht Pegasus was spontaneous combustion due to the self-heating of used oil-soaked rags that had been improperly disposed of on the aft deck of the vessel.

LESSONS LEARNED

Rags soaked with oil-based finishes, which are commonly used for painting and refinishing, pose a fire hazard if stored improperly,” says the NTSB. “Because they generate heat as they dry, oily rags that are piled up, put together in a trash can, or bagged do not allow the heat to escape, creating a high risk for spontaneous combustion. To prevent a fire, users of oil-based products (or any chemical product) should carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleanup and disposal of rags, steel wool, brushes, and other applicators.”

• Download the full NTSB report