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Fire at Sea: Prevention Beats a Bucket
💡 Fire needs fuel, heat, and oxygen — prevent leaks and smother flames rather than fighting a blaze you can't outrun at sea.
At sea you can't call the fire brigade, so a skipper's real weapon is prevention. Most boat fires start in two places: the galley (a spilled pan, an unattended flame, gas leaking from a cylinder) and the engine bay (fuel or oil dripping onto a hot exhaust, or a chafed electrical wire arcing). Because LPG cooking gas is heavier than air, a leak sinks into the bilge and pools where it can't escape — one reason gas bottles live in a self-draining locker and the supply is shut off at the bottle when not cooking.
Fire needs three things — fuel, heat, and oxygen — the fire triangle. Remove any one side and the fire dies. That's why you smother a burning pan with a lid (cutting oxygen) rather than throwing water on hot oil, which flashes into steam and sprays burning fat everywhere.
Match the extinguisher to the fire. Dry powder (ABC) is the common all-rounder for solids, liquids, and electrical. CO₂ is excellent for engine and electrical fires because it leaves no residue that would wreck the machinery. A fire blanket belongs by the galley for pan fires. Aim at the base of the flames using PASS: Pull the pin, Aim low, Squeeze, Sweep.
For an engine fire, don't fling the hatch open — that feeds it a rush of oxygen. Kill the engine and fuel supply, then discharge an extinguisher through a small dedicated fire port if fitted. Prevention still wins: sniff for gas before lighting the stove, never leave a flame unattended, and keep the bilge clean of oil.