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Three people on a shrimp boat escaped serious injuries during a fire in  the Galveston Bay. The accident occurred about 3 miles northeast of  Seabrook. There’s no information  yet on what caused the fire. Fortunately, crewmembers of another boat, the Kemah Boardwalk Beast were able to rescue the crew members of the shrimp boat. The boat was severely damaged and sank. There were no injuries in this fire.

A maritime fire can be an extremely dangerous situation for crewmembers. There are various challenges involved in dealing with a fire on a boat. For instance, you can’t use too much water to douse the fire, because you then run the risk of drowning the vessel. Abandoning the vessel can be hard when you’re on the water. If you’re on the sea, rescue can take a much longer time to get you than if you are on land. These are just some of the reasons why a maritime fire rarely ends with good news as here.

Typically, these accidents are caused when inflammable materials on the vessel are ignited. A fire can be triggered when inflammable materials are stored in a place where there isn’t adequate ventilation. Gas cylinders and other flammable liquids and gases can easily ignite if they are not stored safely, or if proper handling precautions are not taken.

Besides, crew members must be trained to follow all safety precautions. Adequate training of crew members is a major factor in preventing fires on boats and other vessels. There must be well-established procedures in place for prevention of a fire, and evacuation in case an emergency. Unfortunately, as a maritime attorney, I often see that these procedures and Coast Guard fire safety regulations are ignored, especially by smaller maritime companies.