Unattended Candles and Inoperable Fire-Detection System Led to Total Loss of $6.3 Million Yacht -NTSB

Candles lit and left unattended in a yacht’s VIP suite caused a fire that resulted in the total loss of the vessel and $480,000 in damage to a Miami marina and adjacent vessels in 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday in its Marine Accident Brief 21/17.

No injuries were reported in connection with the December 18, 2019 fire aboard the 120-foot-long, 299-gross-ton, private yacht Andiamo, which was valued at the $6.3 million.

Firefighting resulted in flooding that led to the yacht capsizing onto its starboard side before coming to rest on the marina’s sea floor in about 27-feet of water. An oil-absorbent boom was deployed to minimize the environmental impact from an oil sheen. Adjacent vessels sustained smoke and heat damage and the marina’s nearby power pedestal and dock floats required repair, but the fire did not spread beyond the Andiamo.

Six crewmembers aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged Andiamo were preparing for the arrival of a guest of the owner while moored at the Island Gardens Deep Harbour Marina on pier B. The NTSB investigation revealed that during the preparations, two crewmembers reported lights throughout the lower level and the main salon were not working. Since the lighting issue was not resolved by the time the guest arrived, a member of the crew lit three candles, placing them on top of a wood veneer dresser directly below a porthole decorated with two curtains. The crewmember extinguished one candle that was flickering, while the other two remained lit, and then departed the suite with the guest.

A few minutes later the crewmember opened the door to the main salon and saw a plume of black smoke about 4 feet high from the deck. Two crewmembers began yelling “Fire!” which the captain heard, and he proceeded to investigate, but he did not activate the general alarm, the NTSB said. Instead he instructed a crewmember to have everyone evacuate the yacht and to call for help. Despite the yacht being equipped with an integrated fire-detection and alarm system – consisting of smoke and thermal detectors and manual (pull-type) and audible alarms – the crew told investigators that they neither heard nor saw any fire alarms at that time. The intensity of the fire grew so quickly the crew could not safely initiate firefighting efforts and had to evacuate the vessel.

The NTSB’s investigation revealed the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) reported on Oct. 2 the fire-detection and alarm system for the vessel was inoperable. Visits from ABS indicated that despite the crew’s repair attempts, the system and alarms were still not functioning over two months later, at the time of the fire. If fully functional, the fire-detection and alarm system would have alerted the crew of the fire’s location at its onset, which would have allowed for a direct response and fire-suppression efforts. Investigators determined the crew’s failure to complete timely repairs to the fire-detection system, known to be inoperable for two months, contributed to the severity of the fire.

“Candle usage on a vessel, whether attended or not, poses a fire risk,” the report said. “The abundance of flammable materials on board can allow a fire to quickly spread out of control.”

Marine Accident Brief 21/17 is available online on the NTSB website.