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Rafaello fire report released, over $2Mil caused from fire onboard

fili@samoanews.com

Federal investigators have identified the “probable cause” of a fire aboard the commercial fishing vessel Rafaello, while it was moored at the pierside of the Satala shipyard, and estimates of the damage caused by the fire was at $2 million, according to a brief report released early this month by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the marine accident early last year.

The U.S vessel, which was in port of Pago Pago to off load at the canneries, is owned and operated by Fishing Company Raffaelo LLC, and has its Port of Registry at Las Vegas, Nevada. There were 17 crew members on board the fishing vessel.

According to the NTSB report dated May 5, 2017, it was around 11:10p.m Jan. 17, 2016 a fire broke out on board the un-inspected commercial fishing vessel Raffaello while it was moored to the fishing vessel Judibana at the Satala Shipyard in Pago Harbor.

It says that the fire started in the captain’s stateroom just forward of the machinery space exhaust trunk and was extinguished the next morning by the crews from both vessels along with shoreside firefighters.

Additionally, one of the 17 crew members on the Raffaello suffered minor burns while fighting the fire. And damage to the vessel was estimated at $2 million, the report says and notes that the NTSB worked with the US Coast Guard on the investigation.

In the analysis, the report says that Raffaello was pier side in the shipyard, investigators reviewed documentation, certificates, and records for the vessel and conducted a post-fire examination of the machinery spaces, affected areas, and firefighting equipment.

“The vessel appeared to have been in good order and condition. It had the required firefighting equipment aboard; no discrepancies were recorded,” it says.

Investigators determined that the ignition source of the fire was a 15-inch section of the starboard generator exhaust pipe at the top of the exhaust trunk without insulation (lagging).

About 2.5 inches away from the uninsulated exhaust trunk were charred 2-inch-by-4-inch wooden studs and 0.25-inch plywood sheathing used for a partition of the master cabin bathroom, the report says.

“Investigators concluded radiant heat traveled uninhibited to the wooden partition, heating and charring the wood until it ignited, the report said. “The fire was caused by a long process of wood deterioration known as ‘pyrolysis’.”

Based on testimony from the navigator, the report says the exhaust lagging on the starboard generator was changed annually. However, investigators did not find any records or other evidence verifying that the task was accomplished each year or any evidence indicating why the insulation was missing, it points out.

PROBABLE CAUSE

The NTSB “determines that the probable cause of the fire aboard... the Raffaello was the lack of insulation on the starboard generator exhaust gas pipe resulting in the ignition of combustible material in close proximity,” the report said.

It also notes that there was no environmental damage reported