The 141 meter long ro-ro passenger ferry Wasa Express caught fire in Vaasa, Finland. The fire started in an electrical panel in the engine room. The crew was able to contain the fire and extinguish the blaze before the local fire brigade arrived. One crewman suffered some smoke inhalation, but did not require to be taken to hospital. The ferry was pulled from service to allow for an investigation into incident. No reports of pollution released.
The 180 meter long, 7509 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Pride of Canterbury caught fire off Calais, France. The Pride of Canterbury departed on a regular scheduled crossing of the English Channel with 337 passengers and 119 crew from Dover, England. A fire broke out in the engine room releasing a dense black flume of toxic smoke. Passengers had difficulty breathing as ash fell on the deck. The sprinkler system was able to extinguish the blaze some 20 minutes later. No reports of injuries to passengers or crew. The Pride of Canterbury was pulled from service to be inspected for damage. Reports state the fire started in the vessel’s starboard engine.
On September 26, the 320 foot long ferry Delaware caught fire while berthed at Cape May, New Jersey. The fire started in the ferry’s engine room by an ember in one of the exhaust stacks. The night watch engineer discovered the fire and alerted local authorities. The local fire department along with Coast Guard fire boats were able to extinguish the fire within two hours. The two crew on board were able to escape blaze unharmed. There were no passengers on board at the time. The ferry serves a route across Delaware Bay between Cape May and Lewes, Delaware.