‘Spontaneous combustion’ of oily rags caused yacht fire, says Ports of Jersey

Ports of Jersey (PoJ) has issued a safety bulletin reminding yacht owners about the importance of being particularly vigilant about the storage and disposal of oily or used cleaning rags. These materials can pose a significant risk of spontaneous combustion if not handled properly.

The bulletin refers to a spontaneous combustion in an anchor locker onboard a pleasure yacht in St Helier, Jersey in December 2024. The boat’s crew had recently performed a major clean of the anchor locker and used oil/white-spirit cleaning product for the task. Then they’d stored a small quantity of used rags in a plastic airtight box and put it on a high shelf close to the underside of the foredeck.

The bulletin reports that the rags smouldered and melted the lid of the plastic box. PoJ says that this was likely due to the exothermic evaporation of the oil-based product.

The fire self-extinguished naturally and was only discovered after the event.

Previously, America’s National Transportation Safety Board highlighted the fire hazards of improperly stored oily rags on vessels, following an investigation into a fire aboard a yacht, Pegasus. That took place in 2022​. The 2012 Fairline caught fire while moored at the Peninsula Yacht Basin in Gig Harbour. The fire burned for about an hour before it was reported. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had engulfed the aft section of the yacht. Pegasus, valued at about $1.5m, was declared a total loss. No injuries were reported.

While the yacht was equipped with fire detectors, the bulletin continues, there was no detector in the anchor locker. There is no requirement to have a detector in this area for this particular vessel, it says.

The incident resulted in smoke damage to the inside of the anchor locker and other minor repairs were required.

Jersey Fire & Rescue Service has had eight similar incidents in the last five years. Seemingly, the majority of fires have been caused when towels or chefs clothing/tea towels have been laundered then placed in the tumble dryer.

Preventing spontaneous combustion of oily rags

Spontaneous combustion of oily rags occurs when rags or cloths are slowly heated to their ignition point through oxidation. As a substance oxidises, it releases heat. If this heat cannot escape, such as when rags are piled together, the temperature can rise to a level high enough to ignite the oil and the rag or cloth. This is a common occurrence.

To reduce this risk, rags should be disposed of safely (in line with the product’s safety material data sheets) or – – if that can’t happen immediately — fire resistant containers can be employed, pending disposal.

Containers should be stored in a well-ventilated area, away from other flammable materials.

All crew members should be properly educated on the potential hazards and the correct procedures for handling and disposing of oily rags.

Read the safety bulletin in full.

Main image courtesy of Port of Jersey via Facebook.