On March 15, 2024, about 1315 local time, the bulk carrier Cuyahoga was undergoing maintenance while docked in Ashtabula, Ohio, when a fire broke out in a cargo hold where hot work was being conducted. The crew and maintenance personnel on the vessel were unable to extinguish the fire and evacuated to shore. The Ashtabula Fire Department, with assistance from the ship’s crew, extinguished the fire. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The vessel was declared a constructive total loss estimated at $11 million.

​We determined that the probable cause of the fire on the bulk carrier Cuyahoga was the ignition of the epoxy coating on the forward bulkhead within cargo hold no. 2, possibly from a smoldering fire from an undetermined source associated with earlier hot work in the hold.

​​Combustible Materials and Smoldering Fires

The NTSB has investigated multiple fires caused by a smoldering fire that occurred following the completion of hot work. A smoldering fire is formed when combustible material ignites, but the combustion proceeds slowly and steadily on the material’s surface with little heat and no smoke or flame. A smoldering fire is not easily detected, and depending upon its surroundings, it can last for hours after the initial ignition. A smoldering fire can long outlast the time a fire watch observes an area following hot work. Additionally, it can quickly grow into a flaming fire, with no warning. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate work areas for fire hazards and ensure that combustibles are relocated or protected from hot work.​​