- Author
-
Duval, R. F.
|
Colonna, G.
- Title
- Cruise Ship Fire, Miami, Florida, July 20, 1998. NFPA Fire Investigation Summary.
- Coporate
- National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM: NFPA One Stop Data Shop, 1 Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101. Telephone: 617-984-7540, Fax: 617-984-7478, Email: osds@nfpa.org. Website: http://www.nfpa.org
- Keywords
-
shipboard fires
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welding
|
fire damage
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smoke
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fire fighting
|
fire fighters
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fire departments
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injuries
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fire investigations
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nightclubs
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nightclubs
- Identifiers
- unsupervised cutting and welding operation; mooring deck of a cruise ship; damage throughout the aft portion of the ship
- Abstract
- On July 20, 1998, a fire occurred on the passenger cruise ship "Ecstasy," as the ship was beginning a four-day trip to Cizumel, 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 was 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 was 62,827.7 metric tons (70,367 tons). The vessel had a top speed of 40.7 km/h (22 knots) and was powered by two diesel-electric engines. The ship contained 10 accommodation and entertainment decks, which housed a combination of passenger cabins and entertainment areas (i.e., casinos, nightclubs), as well as numerous dining areas. Most mechanical spaces were 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, was located on Deck 4 (Riviera Deck). There was a similar mooring area in the forward portion of the ship on Deck 6 (Upper Deck). The mooring decks contained the large electric winches that controlled several hundred feet of mooring lines. The mooring lines consisted of polypropylene rope of approximately 63.3 mm (2-1/2 in) diameter. The ship was moored in the Port of Miami for four days while the investigation was conducted. The ship left on Friday, July 24, 1998, under its own power and sailed to Newport News, Virginia, where extensive repairs were completed. The ship was placed back into service on September 18, 1998. On the basis of the fire investigation and analysis, the NPPA has determined that the following factors directly contributed to the fire: Cutting and welding without proper precautions; Delay in discovery of the fire on the mooring deck; Avenue of fire spread through ventilation ducts containing lint and dust accumulations.