The shipkeeper was not awakened until 7 minutes later when the smoke detector inside his stateroom sounded as thick black smoke filled the room.

The shipkeeper was the only person on board but was not listed among the contacts. When the fire erupted at night, the wireless monitoring and notification system, which was installed for winter layup, activated the alarm panel in the crew’s accommodation spaces and then notified the designated contacts. NTSB investigators concluded the repeated removal and reinstallation of the burner assembly during attempts to repair the furnace may have damaged the mounting coupling and led to its eventual failure. They contacted the furnace company’s technical representative who repaired the furnace. The vessel’s two engineers removed and reinstalled the furnace’s burner several times in their attempts to repair the furnace, which were unsuccessful. Investigators determined the coupling broke, allowing the burner to drop and fracture the fuel line supplying it.Ībout a month before the fire, the chief engineer believed the furnace was not working and thought the ignitor was not properly set. The burner assembly was mounted onto the furnace’s air tube with an aluminum coupling. NTSB investigators determined the fire originated at the burner for the diesel oil-fired furnace, which had been installed in the engine room to heat the space during the winter. Damage to the Roger Blough exceeded $100 million. The shipkeeper on board departed the vessel without injury. The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then ignited, causing extensive damage throughout the aft section of the vessel. The Roger Blough was docked in winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility on Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin when a fire started in the engine room. 1, 2021, engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough. National Transportation Safety Board issued three safety recommendations Thursday following an investigation into the Feb.

Set timer for 7 minutes