Costly ‘Spirit of Boston’ Fire Caused by Improperly Extinguished Chafing Fuel, NTSB Finds

An improperly extinguished chafing fuel canister sparked a costly fire aboard the passenger vessel Spirit of Boston while it was moored at Commonwealth Pier in Boston Harbor, according to findings released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The March 24, 2023 incident occurred after passengers had disembarked when hospitality staff accidentally dropped an improperly extinguished heating canister under a plastic glassware cart on the vessel’s first deck. While no injuries were reported, the fire caused substantial damage totaling $3.1 million.

“The absence of marine crew proved critical in this incident,” said the NTSB in its report. The fire could have likely been contained early had trained marine personnel been present. At the time of the fire, all marine crewmembers had already left the vessel, leaving only hospitality staff onboard who were unable to execute proper emergency response procedures.

The investigation revealed systemic safety gaps at City Cruises US, the vessel’s operator. The company relied solely on verbal instructions for handling heating canisters rather than documented procedures, leading to inconsistent safety practices among staff.

In response, the NTSB issued several key safety recommendations, including requiring operators to maintain at least one marine crewmember onboard until all personnel have departed and implementing proper documented procedures for handling open-flame devices.

The NTSB also pushed for the implementation of a comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) across City Cruises US’s fleet. This recommendation extends to all U.S.-flag passenger vessels, reiterating a longstanding safety measure that has seen little progress since 2021 despite Congressional authorization in 2010.

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