GUILTY CA - Boat fire near Santa Cruz Island; 34 missing, Sept 2019 *captain charged*

[imstilla.grandma]

he U.S. Coast Guard will work in conjunction with state and local first responders in Tennessee today to conduct boat drills aboard the passenger vessel Star of Knoxville, out on the Tennessee River.

Operations will span periods in the morning and afternoon, in two locales: the Knoxville Waterfront Wharf and on the Tennessee River itself, between mile markers 647 and 649. The Coast Guard, as well as the Tennessee Riverboat, Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Fire Department, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and University of Tennessee Theatre Department, will all be participating.
U.S. Coast Guard joins state, local first responders for boat drills on Tennessee River - Homeland Preparedness News

 

[Inthedetails]

From the LA Times: “Surviving crew member thought phone charging station might have sparked boat fire”

Surviving crew member thought phone charging station might have sparked boat fire

For some reason, the link doesn't work for me. Can someone summarize some key points?

tia

 

[Kubirai]

Though not required, would sprinklers have helped at all? It seemed like a raging fire, but might they have made a difference?

Many raging fires start small, so automatic sprinklers will be a good idea for larger boats. There also need to be automatic sump pumps to remove the water.

But quick escape routes from sleeping areas to open deck will be more urgent requirement for such vessels.

There was a fire hose on board, but probably in same galley.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Once aboard, the crew member who had been jolted awake shook as he recounted the horrific story to Grape Escape owner Shirley Hansen. His theory, Hansen said, was that the fire started in the galley, where cellphones and cameras had been plugged in to charge overnight.

“The impression I got was that the fire was already too big to do anything,” Hansen said in an interview Wednesday.

The cause of the fire, which killed 34 people, is now the subject of an intensive investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal and county agencies. Investigators are trying to determine where and how it started.

The concern about the charging station in the galley is one possibility.

Roy Hauser, who designed the Conception and commissioned its construction in 1981, suggested another. He said he thinks, based in part on footage he viewed of the wood-hulled boat being ravaged by fire, that the blaze started in the bunk area and spread so rapidly that the 34 people there could not get out.

“This had to have been, in my estimation, one of those lithium battery chargers,” Hauser told the Los Angeles Times. “This happened in the belly of the boat. Those people did not have a chance to get out: From stem to stern, that boat was burning.”
What caused the fire aboard the dive boat Conception?

 

[Inthedetails]

Once aboard, the crew member who had been jolted awake shook as he recounted the horrific story to Grape Escape owner Shirley Hansen. His theory, Hansen said, was that the fire started in the galley, where cellphones and cameras had been plugged in to charge overnight.

“The impression I got was that the fire was already too big to do anything,” Hansen said in an interview Wednesday.

The cause of the fire, which killed 34 people, is now the subject of an intensive investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. Coast Guard and other federal and county agencies. Investigators are trying to determine where and how it started.

The concern about the charging station in the galley is one possibility.

Roy Hauser, who designed the Conception and commissioned its construction in 1981, suggested another. He said he thinks, based in part on footage he viewed of the wood-hulled boat being ravaged by fire, that the blaze started in the bunk area and spread so rapidly that the 34 people there could not get out.

“This had to have been, in my estimation, one of those lithium battery chargers,” Hauser told the Los Angeles Times. “This happened in the belly of the boat. Those people did not have a chance to get out: From stem to stern, that boat was burning.”
What caused the fire aboard the dive boat Conception?

This theory of the fire stating at the charging station rings true to me. If that is the case, there will be evidence that shows it.

jmo

 

[Kubirai]

Surviving crew member thought phone charging station might have sparked boat fire

Quick summary of this article if you can't view it.

Hauser, the boat designer, thinks the fire started in the bunk, where there are AC outlets.

The escape hatch comes out near the entry to the galley. So even if there were flames, someone could have jumped through the 3-4 feet distance to the open deck.

The crew member who first heard the (fire's) loud noise, thinks the fire started in the power bars in the galley.

My comments:

Perhaps too many phones and cameras may have been charging, overloading the cable. Divers often use larger cameras with larger batteries. Occasionally they get wet, and could short circuit.

There was a propane BBQ on board, and it was probably used for the birthdays. Candles may not have been put out completely. Someone may have discarded a cigarette or joint in the trash.

Many ways to start a fire. How it engulfed the boat so quickly is the puzzle to be solved.

 

[PommyMommy]

SEP 4, 2019
Paddle out honors local woman killed in dive boat fire


Friends of a local woman who died in a boat fire near Santa Cruz Island said the sunset, tide and wildlife around Mission Bay was picture perfect for a paddle out to honor her life Wednesday evening.

"She would've laughed the whole time she was out there with us," said Ciara Guedesse, a member of Venture Active.

Two years ago, Imperial Beach resident Nicole Quitasol joined the group made up of members who share a love for the outdoors and especially the water.

"It was easy to love her. Millions of people out there are going to miss her every single day," Guedesse said.

[...]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

A diver who's boarded Conception some 100 times says numerous AC power outlets are located in an area "directly above" the divers' sleeping quarters. "You can plug in overnight," he says. "Sometimes with a lot of people on board, there'd be competition for space."
Theory on Conception dive boat fire points to phone-charging station

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Homendy says crew members were given alcohol and drug tests. She says the alcohol tests were negative, and the drug results are pending.

The boat's fire protection systems will also be checked. The Coast Guard says the vessel wasn't required to have sprinklers.
Feds Interview Captain, Crew Members in Deadly Boat Fire Investigation

 

[PommyMommy]

News about Nalani Johnson on Twitter
Santa Cruz Co. flags fly at half staff to honor those lost in tragic dive boat fire Santa Cruz Co. flags fly at half staff to honor those lost in tragic dive boat fire

6:33 AM - 5 Sep 2019

KEYT NewsChannel 3 on Twitter
New images show the site where dive teams are working in the waters around Santa Cruz Island. One victim of the boat fire remains missing.
New aerials show Conception's ocean recovery site
6:47 AM - 5 Sep 2019

 

[Inthedetails]

Quick summary of this article if you can't view it.
Hauser, the boat designer, thinks the fire started in the bunk, where there are AC outlets.

The escape hatch comes out near the entry to the galley. So even if there were flames, someone could have jumped through the 3-4 feet distance to the open deck.

The crew member who first heard the (fire's) loud noise, thinks the fire started in the power bars in the galley.

My comments:

Perhaps too many phones and cameras may have been charging, overloading the cable. Divers often use larger cameras with larger batteries. Occasionally they get wet, and could short circuit.

There was a propane BBQ on board, and it was probably used for the birthdays. Candles may not have been put out completely. Someone may have discarded a cigarette or joint in the trash.

Many ways to start a fire. How it engulfed the boat so quickly is the puzzle to be solved.

Thank you so much for this.

I think an easy change to make would be a rule that there are no charges done overnight while people are sleeping and/or while the outlet is unattended.

jmo

 

[PrairieWind]

I have not heard any discussion of the smoke detectors going off. Has anyone heard anything about them?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

National Transportation and Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy told The Times she was “taken aback” by the size of the emergency hatch when she toured the Vision.

Homendy said she and the investigators turned the lights off to see what it would have been like for the passengers trapped on the Conception.

With the lights off, the emergency lighting was on the other side of the room, she said.

Getting to the emergency hatch was difficult, she said, adding they couldn’t find the light switches in the dark.

“You have to climb up a ladder and across the top bunk and then push a wooden door up,” she said. “It was a tight space. We couldn’t turn the light on.”

The NTSB’s tour of the Vision was designed to get a sense of the conditions on the Conception.

“I wanted to see where they kept the fire extinguisher, the life jackets and what it was like in the bunk room,” Homendy said.

After descending a set of stairs into the bunkroom, one fire extinguisher at the bottom was blocked by a trash can, which would not be up to Coast Guard standards, she said. At the other end, there’s a hatch on the ceiling, she said.

Survival-factor specialists on the NTSB team will ultimately assess the path to the emergency hatch, she stressed.
NTSB investigator in boat fire ‘taken aback’ by small escape route for passengers

 

[Kubirai]

I have not heard any discussion of the smoke detectors going off. Has anyone heard anything about them?

No. One crew member heard a loud noise, went to check, but the fire was already too fierce.

 

[PrairieWind]

No. One crew member heard a loud noise, went to check, but the fire was already too fierce.

Thats all I found as well. I am assuming the sleeping quarters would have had (required) smoke detectors. Why did they not go off? or in the galley where it is starting to look like the fire started? It seems like the alarms should have gone off before the fire made escape impossible.

The boat may or may not have been up to code. Sort of sounds like it might have been, but I am guessing we will see changes in regulations after this. I am still stunned, after looking at the size of these boats, that they could cram 35 bunks down below.

 

[bluedivergirl]

In the air we breathe there’s approximately 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen. In a standard compressed air tank that a diver typically uses the percentages are approximately the same. In Nitrox, there’s less nitrogen and more oxygen. You need extra training to use Nitrox. The tanks would be clearly marked so there’s no confusion of the mixture.

I know a lot of recreational divers that use Nitrox, including my hubby. He also spear fishes while diving. The way I understand it helps with less decompression but I’m not sure you can dive as deep.

I don’t know for sure but it’s more likely they were diving recreationally. Divers would be admiring sea life, I would think some would be using go-pros or other cameras to record. Some may have been spear fishing because I saw on the website you can take game with the proper licensing. There may have been beginner divers getting their certifications. I would imagine there could have been some non-divers just out with friends or family members.

IMO

Based on my experience, BayouBelle is exactly right. They would have been recreational divers of varying skill levels.

I have never encountered technical divers mixed with recreational dive activities.

Nitrox is more and more commonly used, especially for older divers. It can prevent headaches that can come with repetitive shallow diving. I am not Nitrox-certified, so my knowledge is limited.

The scuba tanks are not particularly flammable if the tank is not ruptured, but is IS still compressed gas. Subject to a raging fire, I am sure they exploded, but I doubt they caused the fire.

I am interest in the lithium battery theory. Many divers (including my DH) are avid photographers. They would have expensive camera equipment (Just try putting a piece of gear on the camera table!!) and laptops to review and edit photos. Chargers and outlets would be in high demand. I think it very possible that chargers were being used in the bunk area.

The 17-YO haunts me. I have had the opportunity to dive with a number of young, newly-minted divers. Their excitement and thrill is contagious. Even when they are so cold their lips are blue, they are still smiling from ear to ear. Such a tragedy.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

This article is heartbreaking. Wonderful tributes.
Conception dive boat victims: Know their names, learn their stories

 

[imstilla.grandma]

U.S. authorities are investigating potential ignition sources of a deadly fire on a scuba diving boat, including electronics aboard the vessel.

Jennifer Homendy, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Thursday that investigators know photography equipment, batteries and other electronics were stored and plugged in on the Conception.
...
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. The NTSB’s Jennifer Homendy says the captain, boat owner and others have been interviewed. She says survivors received drug tests and four got alcohol tests that were negative.
The Latest: Authorities seek cause of California boat fire | WTOP

 

[Sleuth15]

A photo on the Truth Aquatics web site of the bunk area appears to show a smoke/fire detector located in the ceiling near an air vent next to an upper bunk

 

[Cryptic]

Hauser, the boat designer, thinks the fire started in the bunk, where there are AC outlets.

Though I definetly respect his views as a marine designer, I cant help but think of the human factors that seem to reduce the chances of the fire starting in the bunk space:

- Though nearly all would of had their privacy curtains closed, my guess is that several people would not have been asleep (thinking of the days dives, too excited- or too tired to sleep etc). Others would have been dozing lightly. Somebody would have either seen the fire, or smelled smoke and raised an alarm.

- The boat's cook slept with the divers. Evidently, the fire started at 3:30, too early for even her to be up. But, she would be getting up soon to prepare breakfast. Thus, a chance that she would be lightly sleeping. Being on the crew, she would investigate the source of even slight smoke.

- Recreational divers are likely to be physically fit individuals capable of thinking under pressure and capable of following directions with out panic. In even a fast moving fire starting in the bunk space, I think most would have escaped or, if possible, smothered the fire out with blankets etc.

In short, my guess is that had the fire started in the bunk space, the story would have read:

Severe fire- A tragedy occured on a dive boat as five people were fatally overcome by smoke in a fast moving fire. Some survivors suffered burns escaping from the space. The fire was extinguished and survivors taken off the boat by the USCGS.....

Less severe fire- Several divers suffered first or second degree burns extinguishing a fire in a bunk space. Other were treated for smoke inhalation and released from hospitals.... .