About 2220 on February 26, 2016, a fire broke out in the engine room lavatory on board the uninspected towing vessel San Gabriel while moored at a sulfur-loading dock in Houston, Texas. Shoreside firefighters extinguished the blaze, which caused extensive damage to the interior spaces. All crewmembers were able to evacuate the vessel safely, and no pollution was reported as a result of the fire.

​​The probable cause of the fire aboard towing vessel San Gabriel was an electrical anomaly related to the lavatory exhaust fan located directly above combustible materials. Contributing to the extent of the damage was the captain’s excessive delay in requesting shoreside assistance.

​​Inspection of Towing Vessels

On June 20, 2016, the Coast Guard issued a final rule, "Inspection of Towing Vessels; Subchapter M," that included regulations designed to prevent incidents similar to the fire and damage incurred aboard the San Gabriel. These regulations included Title 46 Code of Federal Regulations:

• § 142.215(a) requiring the Commandant of the Coast Guard to approve hand-portable fire extinguishers, semi-portable fire extinguishing systems, and fixed-fire extinguishing systems.
• § 142.245(a) requiring that all crewmembers must specifically know how to fight a fire in the engine room, operate all fire extinguishing equipment, and seal all natural ​openings to a space to prevent leakage of the extinguishing agent.