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Start of fire could not be found during investigation

The fire on board the "Ocean Drover" on Oct 9, 2014, in Fremantle left the vessel so damaged it was impossible to identify what started it, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found. The blaze quickly spread across two decks and took the whole day to control, leaving four of the 50 crew members injured, including one who was admitted to hospital for smoke inhalation and burns. The ATSB said in a recent report the fire started in a centrally located forward cabin on the upper deck as crew started final preparations to load cattle. The cabin door was left open after the blaze was discovered, allowing smoke and flames to spread. In addition, the bridge deck stairwell fire door was hooked open, allowing the fire to rapidly spread and engulf the upper and bridge decks. At the height of the blaze, temperatures exceeded 1100C. As a result of the intensity of the fire and the severity of the damage, an exact point of origin or source of the fire could not be identified. Containing a shipboard fire where it originated was critical to fighting it, the ATSB said, and particular attention had to be paid to ensuring fire doors were never compromised. No evidence was found to show that the fire started from an electrical fault or appliance, and while cigarette smoking was not identified as a contributing factor, the smoking policy and associated risk controls on board were not effectively managed. After the vessel was repaired, the ship's managers took remedial action including fitting all accommodation cabins with smoke detectors and replacing the bridge deck stairwell fire door with one not fitted with a hook. The smoking policy was also revised and smoking was restricted to designated rooms.

Investigation Report: Fire On Board The Livestock Carrier Ocean Drover

On the morning of 9 October 2014, a fire started in Ocean Drover’s crew accommodation while the livestock carrier was berthed in Fremantle and preparing to load cargo. The fire quickly spread and the ship’s crew and a number of the port’s emergency response teams fought to control it for the rest of the day. Four of the ship’s crew sustained smoke inhalation requiring medical treatment; one being hospitalised for smoke inhalation and burns. By the time the fire was extinguished the following day, the accommodation areas and the ship’s navigation bridge had been extensively damaged. What the ATSB has found so far Initial analysis by the ATSB and the Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) indicates that the fire started in one of the central forward cabins on the upper deck. The fire quickly spread and engulfed both the upper deck and the bridge deck above. Report here: http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5189966/mo2014012-prelim.pdf

Damaged cattle carrier being towed to Singapore

One month after a fire damaged the "Ocean Drover" in Fremantle, the ship was taken in tow by the Singapore flagged tug "Pacific Rigger", 1864 gt (IMO:9246437), with assistance from the "Svitzer Harrier" and "Svitzer Albatross" from Fremantle harbour on Nov 9 bound for a repair yard in Singapore with an ETA of Nov 25. Significant progress has already been made in preparing for the repairs, arranging all spares required and removing the damaged infrastructure from the vessel. This will limit the time required to refurbish the ship's accommodation and bridge areas in Singapore. The repair was expected to take approximately 10 weeks. The workers will also perform upgrades of the vessel to new, higher safety standards as well as performing other scheduled maintenance. Photo: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2141213