Fire destroys luxury ship in minutes in Bay of Islands

By Karina Cooper

Three minutes was all it took for a deluxe launch to be engulfed in flames during the St. Stephen’s Day fire in the Bay of Islands.

Hell, which melted the ship to nearly water level, marks the first ship fire in Northland in 12 months.

Emergency services battled the fire for four hours before the 18-meter fiberglass boat sank into the waters of the port near Moturua Island after catching fire for the first time around 1 p.m.

A spokesman for the New Zealand Coast Guard said that when the boat caught fire, the owners were on a nearby boat.

An 18-year-old tourist from Auckland was heading to a fishing spot with his father aboard his boat when he looked towards shore.

“I saw thick black smoke rising into the sky,” said the teenager, who did not want to be identified. “I knew it was not good, as black smoke means there is something on fire.”

He said the color of the smoke indicates that fuel or other toxic materials were burning in an intense fire.

The couple, concerned that there were people aboard the burning and in distress, took a quick U-turn and headed toward the fire, just as they heard the coastguard’s emergency call on the radio.

The teenager said a message broadcast by the channel described large amounts of diesel fuel on board the ship.

About 10 minutes after the boat caught fire, the father and son stopped at a safe distance from the fire.

To his relief, he knew the occupants were safe: “It was really good to hear that,” he said.

They, along with many other passengers from neighboring anchored ships, watched in awe as nearby ships tried to put out hell until help arrived.

“I could see the flames running all over the cabin and all over the rear. There was a lot of black smoke coming from the top,” he said.

Heat waves from the fire became apparent as the ship’s fiberglass began to melt.

“It was burning very strong and fast,” said the teenager.

Passengers and crew aboard the boat travel agency, R Tucker Thompson, were anchored for a lunch stop when they looked south and saw flames coming from the launch’s main deck.

Ben Willoughby, R Tucker Thompson’s lead teacher, immediately alerted Russell Radio on the VHF and was asked to assist in response.

“We still had some of our own passengers on the beach and we quickly got them back on board and sent out our tender. [ship’s boat] to the wrecked boat to see if we can help get people off the burning boat, “Willoughby said.

The senior captain used the fire hose from his own boat to attack the flames on the affected boat.

“We weren’t at it for long as another big ship came in at the same time and also started hosing down the ship that was now burned and melted just a few feet from the water and it was still hell,” he said.

The Department of Conservation asked Willoughby to move his boat away from the site.

“I was happy with this as we needed to get our own passengers back to Russell at the appointed time, but I wish we could have stayed to help more,” Willoughby said.

Attempts by bystanders bound for the sea were followed by the Bay of Islands coastguard. Led by a representative from New Zealand Fire and Emergencies, the volunteers arrived armed with a bomb and immediately began to douse the flames with water.

They had gathered so much information from the ship’s owners to make sure they knew the type of fuel and if there was anything explosive on board.

With little impact, a Salt Air Tours helicopter armed with a rain bucket flew overhead and threw about five buckets full of water onto the launch.

“I was not putting out the fire,” said the teenager. “The ship was smoking and the fire was still burning.”

For about two hours, the teenager and his father had watched the heartbreaking scene when the fire completely engulfed the boat despite the efforts of the emergency services.

“I’ve never seen llamas like this in the water. We have never seen or responded to a tragedy like this.”

Fire and Emergency eventually brought down the Coast Guard and helicopter after they contained the burn, but not before hell escalated as the diesel fuel ignited and decimated the doomed launch.

The distraught owners were transported ashore by Coast Guard volunteers for the comfort of the family waiting in Paihia.

Barriers have been placed in the water where the ship sank to control the spill of toxic materials, such as diesel, as well as buoys to allow boats to easily navigate the wreckage site.

Extinguishing the fire was made difficult due to the mystery of how it started and not being able to board the launch, Coastguard NZ said.

Shippers are urged to verify that electrical work is performed by a qualified electrician, that their vessel has an Electrical Fitness Warranty, and that combustible materials are stored away from points of ignition.

What to do in a fire
Coastguard NZ Tips for Jetties Facing Flame: