New Orleans FFs Respond to Tugboat Fire, Crash
By Della Hasselle
Source The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
May 07 -- Three passengers were injured when a tugboat caught fire and crashed into another boat at the Poland Avenue wharf in the Bywater early Monday afternoon, according to the New Orleans Fire Department.
The tugboat, named the "Uncle Robert," had struck another boat after workers realized it was on fire and attempted to dock quickly, NOFD said.
Officials said the "Uncle Robert" then caused the other boat to break loose from its mooring, injuring three workers on board.
The NOFD was alerted to the incident shortly after 12:30 p.m., according to Captain Edwin Holmes, when the department received a 911 call reporting the accident and fire.
Holmes, an NOFD spokesman, said that the first NOFD company arrived on the scene about 10 minutes later to find the “Uncle Robert” docked at the wharf with heavy smoke billowing from the lower decks.
Firefighters then boarded the boat to fight the fire inside, but the "intense smoke and heat made the attack extremely difficult," Holmes said.
The Port of New Orleans’ fire boat, “Kelly,” then responded as well, attacking the fire with heavy streams of water. Officials said the extra help allowed firefighters to get inside.
At that point, the NOFD Incident Commander called for additional units, as firefighters must rotate out of a scenario involving a boat fire at a quicker pace than normal to avoid heat exhaustion and fatigue, Holmes said.
In a release, Superintendent Timothy McConnell equated the attack to "fighting a fire inside of an oven being fueled by diesel."
"Scenarios like this are what our members train for tirelessly," McConnell said. "This scenario can quickly take a severe toll on fire crews.”
The workers on the boat that was hit got "unspecified injuries" and were brought to a local hospital, Holmes said. Crews were able to secure that boat quickly after the accident, preventing further damage.
Ultimately, NOFD firefighters were able to also save "Uncle Robert" from sinking after they discovered a valve that was causing the tugboat to take on water, according to Holmes.
Authorities said the tugboat will be towed to a boat repair yard for further assessment once it's safe to move.
All in all, 14 NOFD units carrying 32 personnel helped fight the fire. Officials from the New Orleans Police Department, Harbor Police, Homeland Security and the United States Coast Guard responded as well.
NOFD said the fire was put under control just before 2:30 p.m., nearly two hours after firefighters first arrived on scene.
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