On January 19, 2023, about 1155 local time, a fire started in a stateroom below the main deck of the small passenger vessel Qualifier 105, which was being stored ashore for the winter, on blocks, in the Northern Enterprises Boat Yard in Homer, Alaska. The local fire department responded and extinguished the fire. No pollution or injuries were reported. The owners declared the vessel a constructive total loss. Damages were estimated at $1.2 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the fire aboard the passenger vessel Qualifier 105 was an undetermined electrical source that ignited a stateroom ceiling. Contributing to the extent of the fire damage was the substantial use of combustible materials composing the stateroom ceilings and bulkheads throughout the vessel’s accommodation spaces.
