Quick reactions prevent generator fire from becoming an inferno 

A fire erupted on an articulated tug and barge while it was anchored in Lake Erie, near Cleveland, Ohio, US, and the crew reacted quickly to extinguish it, preventing an explosion, an inferno, pollution and injuries.

But the fire on ABS-class, 10,720-gt barge Pathfinder, operated by Interlake Steamship Co, on 30 December 2024 caused US$2.6M of damage, said the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

In its investigation, the safety board discovered the fire broke out in the generator space of 1952-built, 177-m barge Pathfinder while it was attached to 1999-built, 36-m pusher tug Dorothy Ann.

In response, the crew sealed the space, removed the fuel and oxygen sources and released the vessel’s fixed gas fire extinguishing system, putting out the fire.

“We determined that the probable cause of the diesel generator engine failure and resulting fire aboard the self-unloading barge was a loss of lube oil to one of the engine’s connecting rods,” said the NTSB in its report.

It added that it was “possibly due to its electrical generator experiencing a sudden block load beyond its design capability, resulting from an electrical short in the generator.”