A SELF-UNLOADING BULK CARRIER OPERATING ON THE GREAT LAKES EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS ENGINE ROOM FIRE WHILE NORTHBOUND ON LAKE ERIE, OFF KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO. ALTHOUGH NO INJURIES OR POLLUTION WERE REPORTED, THE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE ROOM WAS EXTENSIVE. britanniapandi.com INCIDENT OVERVIEW ENGINE ROOM FIRE ON A BULK CARRIER ON LAKE ERIE © BRITANNIA P&I CLUB 2026 | AGENTS TO THE MANAGERS: TINDALL RILEY (BRITANNIA) LIMITED No.30 | FEBRUARY 2026 INCIDENT CASE STUDY 1 1 BACKGROUND OF SHIP AND VOYAGE DETAILS The ship was originally built in 1943, as a steamship and later converted to diesel propulsion. Due to the date of build, many safety features that are now mandatory were not required and therefore not fitted. For example, the main engine could not be stopped from the ship’s bridge, requiring stoppage locally or by closing fuel supply valves. Similarly, the main engine pressurised fuel supply lines were not fitted with spray shielding in case of containment failure. Small fuel leaks on the main engine fuel supply and return lines were considered common. Due to the busy routine of the crew, temporary fixing of leaks had become the norm, with no deeper investigation of the cause. The ship’s machinery space was located aft, and as common with ships of this era, it was fitted with a skylight. The skylight was opened and closed using a winch, the remote control of which was located within the engine control room. Local operation was possible using a manual cranking device. To improve ventilation some portholes and fire doors were secured in the open position, however these could not be closed remotely. The machinery space was protected by a carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fixed firefighting system, that could be remotely activated from a safe position without having to enter the CO 2 storage compartment. FIGURE 1 VIEW OF VESSEL, SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRE SOURCE TSB britanniapandi.com © BRITANNIA P&I CLUB 2026 | AGENTS TO THE MANAGERS: TINDALL RILEY (BRITANNIA) LIMITED No.30 | FEBRUARY 2026 INCIDENT CASE STUDY 2 Safety equipment met the minimum requirements, meaning the ship had only two firemen outfits, one located aft and one forward. On the day of the incident, the ship had loaded a cargo of crushed stone at Marblehead, Ohio. The voyage plan called for a northbound transit of Lake Erie to Kingsville, Ontario; a relatively short passage compared with transoceanic trade but one requiring careful navigation due to the high density of shipping on the Great Lakes. The ship carried a complement of twenty crew members, including deck officers, engineers, and support staff. The crew was familiar with the trade, conducting routine voyages between US and Canadian ports. FIGURE 2 AREA OF OCCURRENCE SOURCE MAP DATA © [2026] GOOGLE 2 WHAT HAPPENED At approximately 2159 hours, flames were observed at the top of the main engine during routine engine room rounds. The duty engineer, attempted to stop the engine but could not reach the control room due to flames and intense heat. The duty engineer subsequently evacuated the engine room and manually raised the general alarm. The crew mustered according to established emergency procedures, with groups assembled forward and aft. The second engineer did not initially muster at the aft station, later having found to have slept through the alarm. The aft muster station personnel commenced closing machinery space vents and preparing fire hoses for use. At 2204 the emergency generator was started to ensure continued power supply to e