C2/2001M Fire on tax-free store onboard passenger ferry m/s CINDERELLA in Helsinki harbour on 21 March, 2001

On Wednesday 21st March 2001 at about 13.50 hours, a fire was discovered in the storeroom for tax-free goods on deck 2 of the M/S CINDERELLA. At that time CINERELLA was in its Helsinki port, with an opening being flame-cut in the vertical bulkhead in the right side of the rear end of the motor-vehicle deck (deck 3). The opening was being cut in the bulkhead on the motor-vehicle deck, immediately above the deck level. The flame generated in the flame-cutting operation penetrated through the motor-vehicle deck, and molten steel drops dripped into the central vacuum cleaning room below the flame-cutting point. The drops dripped onto a sofa in the room, and the sofa caught fire.

The fire spread from the door opening to the storeroom. The goods stored therein and the storeroom itself suffered severe smoke and water damage, and the storeroom had to be entirely renovated. The fire also penetrated the space between the storeroom ceiling and the motor-vehicle deck so as to cause a burning of cables.

The firefighting brigade of the ship itself succeeded in almost extinguishing the fire. Having received the alarm call, units from the Helsinki City Rescue Department arrived and assisted in the final phase of the firefighting and in the final extinction.

The departure of the ship for its next cruise was delayed by one hour and 45 minutes, but no other disturbances or irregularities were generated.

C02/2001M Report (pdf, 0.24 Mt)