(from Chief Engineer H.R. Fuchs †, translated from the original German story)
Told by somebody, who experienced it by himself. The mistakes which were made, one can see only afterwards - I do not know the insurance report - but you can believe my story.
The last loading port was Marseille and the first discharge port was Dakar. When passing Las Palmas a fire was discovered in hold No. 3.
The fire was extinguished by releasing the corresponding numbers of CO2-cylinders, located in the steering gear compartment. Unfortunately the cast iron release levers, have broken off at the first attempt. With the aid of some diving equipment found on board, the now partly leaking cylinders could be released individually.
At midnight the fire flared up again. Since the steel hatch covers were not lowered into their normal sea position (as it should have been), the entry of air had to be stopped and the gap under the covers was filled with rags and with cement.
On the voyage to Dakar the remaining CO2-cylinders were released by and by, as smoke continued to emerge from the cargo hold.
Conclusion up to here:
- Why not enter Las Palmas as a port of refuge?
- Why were the hatch covers not lowered in their resting position and secured?
- Has the manufacturer of the CO2-plant ever tested the release levers?
On arrival in the port of Dakar there was first a "big palaver". The hatch No. 3 was opened. The harbour fire brigade crawled around in the hold, but returned soon, as their air bottles were empty. And then, the fire broke out again, the flames reached up to the top of the mast. A shore connection for CO2 was not available, therefore it was of no importance to close the hatch covers again.
The crew, the fire brigade, a detachment of the French Army and two little harbour tugs were fighting against the fire. Two fire engines from the airport poured their foam over the DAVOS into the harbour basin and disappeared again.
Conclusion:
- Why not leave the hatch closed until a CO2-connection is ensured?
- Why not first localize the seat of the fire with the hatch closed?
The two fire engines may have been able to extinguish the fire, if they have gone onto the parking place on top of the adjacent harbour building and directed all the foam into the hold on top of the fire.
A deep sea tug of the Bugsier Reederei Hamburg, on the way from Singapore to Europe, was listening to the radio traffic of the DAVOS, left its tow drifting and arrived in the harbour basin and remained on stand-by. The discussion was about the contract „Lloyd's Open Form: No cure – no pay“.
Once the "Lloyd's Open Form" was signed, my friends, I can tell you, these chaps from the tug were real professionals. And what a powerful water jet they had, a real joy. Captain von Storch had all under control. The tug's electrician was standing in the middle of the fire on one of the cross beams of the tween deck and took his breath from the jet at his fire nozzle. At this time the water level reached already the tween deck and to add to the misfortune, due to the red hot bulkhead, the cargo in hold No. 2 commenced to burn as well.
Meanwhile, because the temperature in the daily fuel tank for the generators already exceeded the measuring range of the thermometer, the diesel generators were stopped and the ship was "blacked out".
Here again a wrong thought: To extinguish a burning boat in the tween deck, the order was given to give the ship a bit of starboard list to let the water rush into the tween deck. Another "kiss my arse job", when you know from the beginning, that it will go wrong.
Take the diesel generator into service, start the ballast pump - and after pumping about 10 tonnes of water, the ship takes a dangerous list to starboard, due to the "free surface effect" of the water.
At least there were three more people on board, as I climbed on deck: Juan, my captain, the chief mate and Captain von Storch from the salvage tug. All the others were safely on board of the tug.
As I tried later to explain to a bar lady in Dakar „I nearly shit in the pants during this process“, she put without a word another beer on the bar and she appeared the only one, who understood me.
Von Storch screamed on the tug: „Kommt hoch, ihr Schweine“ ("Come up you pigs"). The answer was: „We are not coming up, the ship is going to topple over" And so, von Storch and myself we removed as quick as possible the goosenecks on the portside and filled all tanks, which could be filed. Slowly the DAVOS righted itself again and resumed a tolerable list and the fire fighting could be continued until to the end.
The two holds, including the deck cargo were discharged in Dakar. I counted about 80 cars, about 24 trucks, about 1000 motorcycles "Vespa" and plenty of destroyed general cargo. Most of these goods were total losses and were left on shore.
The reason for the fire was, so it was surmised, that a few bales of cloth, made of "viscose" were charged up by static electricity and sparks emanating from the material ignited the gasoline fumes in the air. This phenomenon was observed by the crew on a later voyage.
The DAVOS continued her voyage. The mast house No. 2 looked like a badly opened sardine can and lots of steel was distorted by the heat. On the return voyage the ship was repaired in Valencia and about 300 mt of steel were renewed.