EVERSAND

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Fire in engine room of anti pollution vessel in Kiel

A fire broke out in the engine room of the 'Eversand' at the Emder Werft und Dock GmbH, the former Lindenau Yard, in Kiel-Friedrichsort on the evening of April 2, 2025, and triggered a major operation by the Kiel Fire Department. More than 70 emergency personnel were involved in extinguishing operations in Kiel-Friedrichsort until the early morning of April 3. The fire was discovered shortly before 10 p.m. Smoke was emerging from the starboard side of the former naval vessel. In addition, the entire area surrounding the shipyard smelled of burning plastic. When a fire engine from the nearby Kiel North Station arrived at the pieri a few minutes later, the vessel was already engulfed in smoke. Additional personnel from the Kiel Main Fire Station as well as the volunteer fire departments in Schilksee, Suchsdorf, Wellsee, and Russee were immediately mobilized. The fire was located in the engine room near the electrical systems. The fire fighters first de-energized the ship so that the crews could use water to extinguish it. However, firefighting operations on the ship lasted for hours. Only two crews could work in the narrow space at a time. At the same time, the decks had to be searched for possible embers, as the fire could have spread through cable ducts and insulation material on board. A water supply was therefore set up on the pier in Kiel-Friedrichsort. The firefighters had the advantage, that they had practiced on the ship before. Therefore, the conditions on board were not entirely unfamiliar. This was also the reason why the fire in the engine room was brought under control very quickly. The Fire Brigade North had brought a special vehicle with a roll-off container for ship firefighting to the berth for the operation, in addition to the fireboat Dat Füerschipp'. The breathing apparatus logistics and the hygiene container were heavily used, as all attack crews could only work on board with these. After the operation, the crews were able to use the hygiene container to remove soot from the engine room from their soiled uniforms, boots, and helmets. It took until midnight for the smoke from the vents to slowly subside, allowing firefighting operations to be scaled back. The ship's construction made the follow-up firefighting operations very difficult and time-consuming. Parts of the ceilings and pipe linings had to be opened to reach and extinguish the last embers. After just over four hours, the operation was concluded. There were no injuries during the operation. The cause of the fire was still unclear. Fire investigators from the criminal investigation department were to be deployed once the engine room could be entered without breathing apparatus. Initially, the water police secured the scene of the fire. The 'Eversand' was initially stationed in Wilhelmshaven. In 2020, the anti pollution vessel was transferred to the naval base in Kiel, where it was decommissioned in October 2021. A shipping company from Emden then took over the former naval ship and placed it on standby at the pier of the shipyard. Report with photo: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/schleswigholstein/ndr-lindenau-werft-in-kiel-feuer-im-maschinenraum-eines-schiffs-100.html