Dear colleagues on board,
On March 28, 2024 at 9:40 p.m. we received a call via our emergency number from the Captain of the MV Spanaco Loyality in which the captain reported a fire in the engine room. Shortly before the call, the crew managed to extinguish the fire.
A cause analysis revealed that the fire was caused by a defective seal on the automatic lubricating oil filter. The defective seal caused hot lubricating oil to splash onto the main engine's exhaust pipe and ignite the fire.
After the defective seal was replaced and the engine room was cleaned, the ship was able to continue its journey on March 29, 2024 at 5 a.m.
Firefighting assessment:
Thanks to a functioning fire alarm system and the immediate, correct intervention of the crew, the fire was quickly extinguished and major damage was avoided.
Preventive measure:
Seals on systems with flammable operating fluids such as lubricating oil and fuels should, where possible, be provided with a splash protection shield so that the flammable operating fluid cannot get onto hot engine components in the event of an uncontrolled leak.
Please check on your ship whether such preventative measures are necessary. If so, please implement these reventive actions immediately so that such fires do not occur on your ship.
Finally, we would like to thank the Captain of the MV Spanaco Loyality and his entire crew for their professional efforts in fighting the fire.
This accident clearly shows once again that functioning safety systems and professional action can prevent major damage.
