Chafing fuel heating canister led to Spirit of Boston fire, NTSB says

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released their findings on a March 2023 fire aboard the passenger vessel Spirit of Boston. The fire occurred while the vessel was moored at Boston Harbor's Commonwealth Pier, which NTSB states was caused by an improperly extinguished chafing fuel heating canister used to keep food and beverages warm. In its report, the NTSB issued four safety recommendations.

The fire broke out on the Spirit of Boston’s first deck wait station after the vessel had docked and passengers had disembarked. According to the NTSB, the fire started under a plastic glassware rolling cart when a hospitality staff member accidentally dropped an improperly extinguished chafing fuel canister. None of the hospitality staff on board at the time were injured, but the fire caused $3.1 million in damages to the vessel.

The NTSB’s investigation highlighted the absence of marine crewmembers aboard the vessel during the fire. All marine crewmembers had left the vessel prior to the fire’s outbreak, leaving only hospitality staff onboard. The NTSB determined that the fire could likely have been contained if a marine crewmember had been present. Consequently, the NTSB recommended that the vessel’s operator, City Cruises US, require at least one marine crewmember to remain onboard until all non-crew personnel have departed.

Investigators also found City Cruises lacked documented procedures on how to handle open flame devices on its vessels. NTSB noted hospitality staff were verbally instructed on how to handle the heating canisters, though investigators found in some cases the hospitality staff did not consistently extinguish canisters in accordance with the verbal instructions or manufacturer’s guidance. The NTSB recommended City Cruises develop procedures for crewmembers and hospitality staff on the proper handling of open-flame devices on board its vessels and implement a safety management system (SMS) for its fleet.

In addition to its recommendations for City Cruises, the NTSB reiterated a safety recommendation to the U.S. Coast Guard. The statement said that since 2005, the NTSB has advocated for the Coast Guard to mandate SMS implementation for all U.S.-flag passenger vessels.