A major engine room fire is a nightmare for seafarers. Fire in the engine room not only disables the ship’s propelling plant but also leads to a complete blackout situation, which can result in collision or grounding of the ship.
In case of a major engine room fire on merchant ships, CO2 fixed fire extinguishing system is the most common method used for fire fighting. The chief engineer of the ship is responsible for operating the CO2 extinguishing system,after taking all precautionary measures regarding handling of engine room machinery.