On September 7, 2015, about 1133 local time, a fire broke out in the engine room aboard cruise ship Carnival Liberty. At the time, the vessel was alongside the dock in the Port of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The master ordered the passengers aboard the vessel to evacuate to the dock. The crew used the ship's water mist- and carbon dioxide (CO2) firefighting systems to extinguish the fire. No one was injured, nor was any environmental damage reported. Fire damage to the ship was estimated at $1.725 million.
The probable cause of the engine room fire aboard the Carnival Liberty was loosened bolts, likely resulting from improper tightening during prior maintenance and vibration of the piping over time, on a fuel supply inlet flange on diesel generator 4, which triggered an uncontrolled fuel spray from the inlet flange onto a hot surface on the diesel generator.
As a result of this investigation, we made two recommendations to Carnival Corporation and one recommendation to the Cruise Lines International Association.
