- Author
-
Duval, R. F.
|
Colonna, G.
- Title
- Cruise Ship Fire, Miami, Florida, July 20, 1998. Fire Investigation.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Report
-
Fire Investigation Report,
2000,
33 p.
- Distribution
- For more information contact: Full printed copies of this report can be ordered, for a fee, by contacting NFPA's Charles S. Morgan Library, Telephone: 1-617-984-7445, Fax: 1-617-984-7060, Website: http://library@nfpa.org
- Keywords
-
fire investigations
|
ships
|
shipboard fires
|
welding
|
damage
|
injuries
|
nightclubs
|
nightclubs
- Abstract
- On July 20, 1998, a fire occurred on the passenger cruise ship "Ecstasy," as the ship was beginning a four-day trip to Cozumel, Mexico from the Port of Miami, Florida. This fire resulted in injuries to 60 people, including both passengers and crewmembers. At the time of the incident the ship was carrying 2557 passengers and 920 crewmembers. The ship was constructed in 1990 in Finland and refurbished in 1995. The ship is 260.6 m (855 ft) in length and 31.7 m (104 ft) wide with a draught of 8 m (26 ft). The ship's gross tonnage is 62,827.7 metric tons (70,367 tons). The vessel has a top speed of 40.7 km/h (22 knots) and is powered by two diesel- electric engines. The ship contains 10 accommodation and entertainment decks, that houses a combination of passenger cabins and entertainment areas (i.e., casinos, nightclubs), as well as numerous dining areas. Most mechanical spaces are located on the lower three decks of the ship, with equipment closets and chases scattered throughout the ship. The aft mooring deck, where the majority of the fire damage occurred, is located on Deck 4 (Riviera Deck). There is a similar mooring area in the forward portion of the ship on Deck 6 (Upper Deck). The mooring decks contain the large electric winches that control several hundred feet of mooring lines. The mooring lines consist of polypropylene rope of approximately 63.5 mm (2-1/2 in) diameter. The laundry area, where the fire is reported to have started, is located on Deck 2, forward of the freshwater tanks. The laundry area consisted of washing and drying machines and associated pressing and folding equipment.