An engine room fire aboard the 655’ bulk carrier Lem Verbena at the Alabama State Docks in Mobile, Ala., was caused by a failed O-ring seal in the vessel’s boiler burner fuel system, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
The fire occurred Jan. 4, 2025, at about 11:23 p.m. while the vessel was docked and conducting cargo operations. The crew activated the vessel’s fixed carbon dioxide fire extinguishing system, and shoreside firefighters later confirmed the fire was extinguished. No injuries or pollution were reported, and damage was estimated at $5.5 million.
The fire originated in the upper engine room near the composite boiler burner unit. Shortly after cargo operations were completed and the boiler burner had cycled off, a fire alarm activated in the engine control room indicating a fire in the upper engine room zone. The vessel’s water mist system automatically activated, but the fire spread from the upper deck down to lower engine room platforms…