May 6- A Seattle Fire Investigator determined a fire onboard a decommissioned NOAA vessel was an accidental fire caused by welding operations.
At 9:22 a.m. dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center received a 911 call reporting a fire onboard the 200-foot research vessel which was docked at the NOAA Marina located at 7600 Sand Point Way NE.
The original caller reported paints, paint thinners and acids onboard the vessel. The Hazardous Material Team was dispatched to deal with the potential hazard.
Once on scene, firefighters contained the fire to a 15’ x 50’ x 5’ compartment in the aft of the ship. The room is three floors below the main deck. No hazardous materials were located in the compartment.
Firefighters sealed off the storage compartment and pumped CO2 into the chamber to deprive the fire of oxygen and effectively smolder it. It took two-and-a-half hours to completely extinguish the flames.
The Fire Investigator determined the fire burned tarps and other available combustibles inside the ship. Because the ship is set to be scrapped, the damage estimate is just $100.
