201108 Bagged copra fire

Bagged copra was being loaded from a wharf at a minor Asian port on to an open-decked self-propelled barge. During the three-day loading operation, there were brief rain showers, and even though loading was suspended at these times, the cargo was not covered from the rain. The bags were stacked against the bridge-front bulkhead almost as high as the wheelhouse and subsequent athwartship rows of bags were added from aft to forward ending at the bow door. When loading was nearly complete with about 3,000 bags of copra (approx 250 tonnes) on board, a fire started within the cargo and rapidly spread throughout the consignment. Firefighter road tankers came quickly to the wharf but water jets from their fire engines proved inadequate to extinguish the fierce blaze. The worried harbour authorities forced the barge to cast off from the berth, leaving it to drift in the harbour with no assistance. The master and crew were unnecessarily put in grave danger by this careless act. Finally, after about two days' drifting, the fire burnt itself out and the barge was towed to a repair facility.

The cause of the fire could not be reliably established but it is likely to have originated either from a carelessly thrown cigarette butt or, as it is known to do, the copra wetted by rain could have self-heated to spontaneous combustion. As the cargo was fully exposed to air from all sides, the fire spread rapidly. Foam could have been more effective in firefighting, but in the absence of a properly equipped firefighting tug, and once the barge was cast adrift, it was out of reach for the local fire trucks that had the means to generate foam.

Lessons learnt
Bagged or bulk copra should only be stowed inside holds or compartments that are fitted with fixed firefighting systems. Open deck stowage should be avoided as it poses a serious fire hazard.

 

Feedback to MARS 201108

Bagged copra fire
In the late 50s/early 60s, there were frequent fires involving cargoes of bagged copra. The fires were handled by blanketing the cargo with CO2;  repeatedly if necessary, otherwise, if the fire got out of hand all was lost and even shore-based firefighting equipment would be ineffective.
With regard to the fire in question, the picture shows the flame to be bright yellow to white: the former indicating temperatures of between 1,200ºC-1,400ºC and the latter 1,400ºC-1,600ºC.
When I was involved internationally in cargo surveying in the Far East, I was often called to attend cargo fires in such commodities as jute, cotton, oil cake, charcoal, fishmeal and rubber. While rubber will not combust on its own, it is a very great problem when it does ignite through being in contact
with already burning substances. If water is used to fight a fire involving rubber, it will only spread it as the burning, fluid rubber will flow of its own volition.