On December 7, 2024, about 1115 local time, the towing vessel Lucinda Smith was moored alongside a dock on the Acushnet River in New Bedford, Massachusetts, when a fire started in one of the vessel’s unoccupied staterooms. The crew attempted to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful and were forced to abandon the vessel onto the dock. Shortly afterward, the local fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $1.5 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the fire aboard the towing vessel Lucinda Smith was an undetermined ignition source in one of the vessel’s staterooms.
