natchez riverboat fire 2022

• February 15, 2023
• Inland and Coastal , News , Passenger

NTSB identifies cause of $1.5 million steamboat Natchez fire

Natchez fire resulted in $1.5 million in damages to the vessel [Photo:USCG]

Combustible materials left unprotected near hot work led to a fire on the iconic New Orleans steamboat Natchez passenger vessel, the National Transportation Safety Board says in its latest report dealing with a vessel fire. Those fires are inevitably costly, and the Natchez fire resulted in $1.5 million in damages to the vessel.

Although the Natchez is a replica of vessels of a bygone era, it was built in 1975 and at the time when the fire broke out on May 3, 2022, was moored and out of service, undergoing a major make over.

“At the time of the casualty,” says the NTSB report, “the Natchez had been undergoing an extensive overhaul of its boilers, generators, and passenger spaces for about 16 months, since January 2021. This work required the employment and coordination of several contractors to accomplish the various tasks. The Natchez owner/operator, who had crew working on the vessel during the day and a security watch in the evening, did not maintain a safety plan for the work being conducted on the vessel but instead relied on the contractors to have and follow their own safety plans. However, the company that was conducting the hot work in the generator space did not have a fire safety plan for the work on board the Natchez.”

On the day of the fire, contractors were removing the vessel’s main electrical panel to install a replacement. After work was completed for the day, the Natchez deckhand serving as the security watchstander saw smoke and flames in the engine room. The New Orleans Fire Department extinguished the fire. Most fire damage was contained within the generator space that housed the panel, with minor heat damage to the engine room and minor smoke damage to the external passenger decks located directly above the fire.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the fire on the steamboat Natchez originated near the deck along the forward bulkhead, adjacent to where the hot work was performed. NTSB investigators saw photos taken prior to the fire that showed cardboard boxes, wooden shelves and other combustible were in the storage areas near where the hot work was performed.

NTSB investigators found neither the vessel owner, the New Orleans Steamboat Company, nor the hot work contractor had a written safety policy or procedures in place for employees to review and follow when preparing for and conducting hot work on the vessel. Fire safety plans are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of fire aboard the steamboat Natchez was the failure of contractor and vessel personnel to identify and then either remove or adequately protect combustible materials near hot work.

“The NTSB has investigated multiple fires following the completion of hot work within a space that were determined to be caused by a smoldering fire,” the report says. “A smoldering fire is formed when combustible material ignites, but the combustion proceeds slowly and steadily on the material’s surface with little heat and no smoke or flame. A smoldering fire is not easily detected, and depending upon its surroundings, it can last for hours after the initial ignition and can quickly grow into a flaming fire with no warning. It is critical to evaluate work areas for fire hazards and ensure that combustibles are relocated or protected with flameproofed covers/curtains or otherwise shielded with sheet metal. In addition, crewmembers involved in hot work should be trained to identify hazards such as combustibles and to take action to remove or protect them from hot work.”

• Download the full NTSB report HERE

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Home    »    NOFD    »    Press Releases    »    2022

May 3, 2022 | From New Orleans Fire Department

Fire Onboard the Steamboat Natchez

On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at 8:05 pm, the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) responded to a fire onboard a boat. The first company arrived on the scene of 7300 Jourdan Rd. at 8:10 pm. and found heavy smoke exiting the Steamboat Natchez. Upon arrival workers on site notified firefighters that crews were torching switch gear panels in the engine room earlier in the day and was ended around 5:00 pm. Fire crews quickly descended through the heavy smoke and reached the seat of the fire. The firefighters onboard aggressively attacked the fire while operating in extremely hazardous conditions. Crews were able to extinguish the fire and keep it confined to just the engine room. Through their decisive actions firefighters were able to limit the majority of the damage to the Steamboat Natchez to just that one room.

Eight NOFD units carrying twenty-four Fire Operations personnel were deployed to the scene of his fire. The fire was placed under control at 9:01 pm. There are no reports of any civilian or firefighter injuries.

Call Received:                   8:04 p.m.

Call Dispatched:               8:05 p.m.

On Scene:                          8:10 p.m.

Under Control:                 9:01 p.m.

NOFD Personnel:             24

NOFD Units:                     8

Cause:                               Crews Working

Injuries:                            None Reported

Last updated: 6/13/2022 10:32:33 AM

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NTSB Identifies Probable Cause Of Fire Aboard Steamboat Natchez

For nearly 50 years, the Steamboat Natchez has been one of the most recognizable and iconic vessels plying the waters in New Orleans’ busy harbor. The 236-foot-long, steam-powered sternwheeler was built in 1975 by Bergeron Machine Shop in Braithwaite, La. The late New Orleans maritime legend Bill Bergeron founded the shipyard specifically for building the Natchez.

The New Orleans Steamboat Company (NOSC), which owns and operates the Natchez, along with the riverboat City of New Orleans, took the Natchez out of service in January 2021 for a complete overhaul, with plans to return the vessel to service in 2023. The Natchez was moved to a wharf on the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal, known locally as the Industrial Canal, where its passenger spaces were to be renovated, its boilers refurbished and one of its two generators replaced.

A major setback, however, occurred May 3, 2022, when a fire broke out at about 7:45 p.m. aboard the Natchez. Local firefighters responded and arrived on scene by about 8:25 p.m. They extinguished the fire by about 9:40 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which conducted an investigation into the fire, estimated the fire caused $1.5 million in damage to the Natchez. According to the NTSB, most of the fire damage was restricted to the generator space, with some heat damage to the engineroom and smoke damage to the external passenger spaces.

The NTSB recently released its marine investigation report on the incident, with a probable cause identified as “the failure of contractor and vessel personnel to identify and then either remove or adequately protect combustible material near hot work.”

The NTSB connected the fire to the work to replace the generator. By May 3, 2023, contractors had already installed the new starboard generator, and work that day included removing the generator’s electrical panel. “Following removal, the plan was to fabricate a new generator electrical panel in its place with new electrical breakers and controls,” the NTSB report stated. “Contractors would also install new fuel, lube oil and water lines for the new diesel generator.”

On the day of the incident, workers with Bluewater Electric finished removing the electrical panel by about 8:30 a.m. Then, a project superintendent with Dixie Marine, the contractor handling hot work aboard the vessel, checked the area for flammable vapors, looked for oil on deck and ensured no combustible materials were adjacent to the hot work area.

“Once the space was determined safe for hot work, the employees used an acetylene torch to cut the panel’s metal framing so it could be removed,” the report stated. “As one worker was cutting with the acetylene torch, the other served as the fire watch and had a bucket of water, charged garden hose and fire extinguisher at the ready in case a fire started.” Two Natchez crew members also used a piece of sheet metal to shield the port-side generator from sparks.

Work wrapped up around 3:45 p.m., after which workers cleaned up the area, gathered tools and monitored the space while tools cooled down.

“The hot work contractor employees started to depart the vessel at 1630, with the project supervisor departing at 1650,” the NTSB report stated. “They told investigators that they did not note any unusual concentration of smoke within the generator space before their departure.”

Simultaneous with the hot work, another contractor, Southern Diesel, was installing fuel, lube oil and water lines for the new generator on the starboard side of the generator room. That work continued into the evening hours. A deckhand for the Natchez was going on his rounds at about 5:45 p.m., when he noted the diesel technician at work. “He did not observe any smoke or other issues,” the report stated. The diesel technician then wrapped up his work about 6:30 p.m. and left the vessel.

“The technician told investigators that although he noted the smell associated with hot work following the completion of the panel frame removal, he did not smell or see any other indication of smoke before leaving the generator space,” the report stated.

At about 7:45 p.m., the deckhand was in the captain’s salon aboard the Natchez when he “saw smoke passing the window,” the NTSB report stated. Upon inspection, he located the source of the smoke: a growing fire near the starboard side of the engine room. He immediately called 911 and alerted the captain and company officials.

Fire investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined the area and identified the hot work that took place that day as the source of the ignition. Further, the ATF identified combustible materials (boxes and plastics) stored on shelving within a couple feet of where the hot work took place as the likely fuel for the fire.

The NTSB noted that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards call for combustible materials to be moved at least 35 feet away from a hot work site. “Where relocation is impracticable, combustibles shall be protected with flameproofed covers or otherwise shielded with metal or asbestos guards or curtains,” the standard states.

According to NTSB, a Natchez official stated that “the company always relied on the contractor conducting hot work on their vessels to have a hot work policy in place and enforce it.

“Investigators found that the hot work contractor had no written safety policy or procedure in place for the employees to review and follow when preparing for and conducting hot work on board a vessel,” the NTSB report stated. “All directions regarding the safety preparation of the area for hot work were passed verbally to the employees by the project superintendent.”

In concluding its report, the NTSB stated the agency has investigated multiple fires of late that were caused by a smoldering fire, one where combustion proceeds “slowly and steadily on the materials surface with little heat and no smoke or flame.”

“A smoldering fire can long outlast the time a fire watch observes an area following hot work,” the NTSB stated. “Therefore, it is critical to evaluate work areas for fire hazards and ensure that combustibles are relocated or protected with flameproofed covers/curtains or otherwise shielded with sheet metal. In addition, crew members involved in hot work should be trained to identify hazards such as combustibles and to take action to remove or protect them from hot work.”

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NTSB: Combustibles near hot work led to New Orleans steamboat fire

(WASHINGTON) — Combustible materials left unprotected near hot work led to a fire on a passenger vessel in New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The fire resulted in $1.5 million in damage to the vessel.

The passenger vessel Natchez was moored and out of service when a fire broke out on May 3, 2022. Natchez operated daytime and dinner jazz cruises daily on the Mississippi River, departing and returning from the French Quarter in New Orleans. No pollution or injuries were reported.

Natchez had been undergoing renovations since January 2021 as part of an extensive overhaul, with a goal to return to service in 2023. On the day of the fire, contractors were removing the vessel’s main electrical panel to install a replacement. After work was completed for the day, the Natchez deck hand serving as the security watch stander saw smoke and flames in the engine room.

The New Orleans Fire Department extinguished the fire. Most fire damage was contained within the generator space that housed the panel, with minor heat damage to the engine room and minor smoke damage to the external passenger decks located directly above the fire.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the fire originated near the deck along the forward bulkhead, adjacent to where the hot work was performed. NTSB investigators saw photos taken prior to the fire that showed cardboard boxes, wooden shelves and other combustibles were in the storage areas near where the hot work was performed.

NTSB investigators found neither the vessel owner nor the hot work contractor had a written safety policy or procedures in place for employees to review and follow when preparing for and conducting hot work on the vessel. Fire safety plans are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of fire was the failure of contractor and vessel personnel to identify and then either remove or adequately protect combustible materials near hot work.

“The NTSB has investigated multiple fires following the completion of hot work within a space that were determined to be caused by a smoldering fire,” the report said. “A smoldering fire is formed when combustible material ignites, but the combustion proceeds slowly and steadily on the material’s surface with little heat and no smoke or flame. A smoldering fire is not easily detected, and depending upon its surroundings, it can last for hours after the initial ignition and can quickly grow into a flaming fire with no warning. It is critical to evaluate work areas for fire hazards and ensure that combustibles are relocated or protected with flameproofed covers/curtains or otherwise shielded with sheet metal. In addition, crewmembers involved in hot work should be trained to identify hazards such as combustibles and to take action to remove or protect them from hot work.”

Marine Investigation Report 23-02​ is available here .

To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, call (844) 373-9922 or (202) 314-6290 to speak to a watch officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).

– National Transportation Safety Board

By Rich Miller

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Accident Location

​​The Natchez before the casualty. (Source: New Orleans Steamboat Company)​

Engine Room Fire aboard Passenger Vessel Natchez

What happened.

​On May 3, 2022, about 1945 local time, the inspected passenger vessel Natchez , with one crewmember on board standing a security watch, was moored in the Industrial Canal in New Orleans, Louisiana, undergoing renovations, when a fire broke out. Local firefighters extinguished the fire at 2139. No pollution or injuries were reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $1.5 million.

What We Found

We determined that the probable cause of the fire on board the passenger vessel Natchez was the failure of contractor and vessel personnel to identify and then either remove or adequately protect combustible material near hot work.​

What We Recommended

Lessons learned.

​​Combustible Materials and Smoldering Fires

The NTSB has investigated multiple fires following the completion of hot work within a space that were determined to be caused by a smoldering fire. A smoldering fire is formed when combustible material ignites, but the combustion proceeds slowly and steadily on the material’s surface with little heat and no smoke or flame. A smoldering fire is not easily detected, and depending upon its surroundings, it can last for hours after the initial ignition and can quickly grow into a flaming fire with no warning.

A smoldering fire can long outlast the time a fire watch observes an area following hot work. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate work areas for fire hazards and ensure that combustibles are relocated or protected with flameproofed covers/curtains or otherwise shielded with sheet metal. In addition, crewmembers involved in hot work should be trained to identify hazards such as combustibles and to take action to remove or protect them from hot work. 

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Repairs to steamboat natchez were happening hours before recent fire.

The vessel, which was under renovation before Tuesday night's fire, will return according to the company

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New Orleans firefighters were on the scene of a fire on the Natchez Steamboat Tuesday night. Crews got the call around 8:30 p.m.

Firefighters said the crews were torching switch gear panels in the engine room around 5 p.m.

NOFD said crews were able to extinguish the fire and keep it confined to the engine room.

Steamboat officials announced on Facebook that it's sister vessel, the Riverboat City of New Orleans , will continue to operate daily cruises from the Toulouse Street Wharf.

There is no official timeline on when the Natchez will be operating again.

This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

The vessel is currently parked at the Industrial Canal across from The Pavillion at Pontchartrain Landing RV Park. Visitors staying there saw the fire up close and called 911.

"I saw a glow in the window on the bottom. Like Bananas Foster when 151 hits it. And it flared. I and thought, that's not right," says Judy Brannigan said. Her husband says they were glad no further damaged occurred - they rode the boat years ago during their last trip to New Orleans.

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New Orleans steamboat the Natchez erupts in flames

The natchez is the last authentic steam-driven riverboat on the mississippi.

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The S.S. Natchez, the last authentic steam-driven riverboat on the Mississippi, erupted into flames Tuesday night, sustaining non-extensive damage, a spokesperson for the New Orleans company that manages the boat confirmed to Fox News Digital.

"It was a small fire on the bottom deck towards the stern of the boat," the New Orleans Steamboat Company spokesperson said. "We know there was some fire damage to some wiring and that type of thing. It was put out, both the Coast Guard and the Fire Department helped."

The spokesperson said the boat "was in layup right now being renovated," receiving what the spokesperson called "a facelift." The company confirmed that no one sustained injuries in the blaze.

The Natchez on fire. Photo credit Judy Brannigan (Judy Brannigan )

"Tomorrow, we'll better assess what we'll have to do from here," the spokesperson said, noting that the fire "didn't do extensive damage."

"The boat is the last authentic steam-driven riverboat on the Mississippi," the company spokesperson added. "That makes it a very unique and important vessel." The company said work crews had been renovating the boat, built in 1975, for between 4 and 6 months.

COAST GUARD SUSPENDS SEARCH FOR 3 CHILDREN SWEPT INTO MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN NEW ORLEANS

The New Orleans Fire Department responded to the fire around 8:05 p.m. Tuesday night, Fox 8 reported . Firefighters arrived to observe smoke pouring out of the steamboat. Boat workers on the scene told the department that crews were torching switchgear panels in the engine room around 5 p.m.

The 3,000-mile byway follows the Mississippi River and spans from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. (iStock)

Firefighters descended through the heavy smoke, braving extremely hazardous conditions to reach the seat of the fire. The department said fire crews contained the spread and damage of the fire to the engine room. Eight NOFD units carrying 24 personnel arrived at the scene to combat the fire. 

The department said it got the fire under control around 9:01 p.m.

The Natchez on fire. Photo credit Judy Brannigan (Judy Brannigan)

The Natchez, the ninth vessel to bear that name, docks at the Toulouse Street Wharf. Day trips include harbor and dinner cruises along the Mississippi River. 

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The ship resembles the Virginia and Hudson steamboats in profile and layout. The Natchez's steam engines were built for U.S. Steel's sternwheeler Clairton in 1925, and the company calls the ship's genuine copper and steel steam whistle "a treasured antique." The ship's copper bell, smelted from 250 silver dollars to produce a pure tone, once graced another steamboat, the S.S. J.D. Ayers. 

Tyler O'Neil is an editor at Fox News. On Twitter: @Tyler2ONeil . News tips can be sent to: [email protected].

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Russia-Ukraine War: What to know as Ukraine resists advance

Published 7:50 am Monday, February 28, 2022

By The Associated Press

Ukrainian troops slowed Russia’s advance on key cities, at least for now, while a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the border with Belarus on Monday for talks with Russian officials, though prospects looked uncertain at best.

European Union defense ministers were also to meet, to discuss how to get weaponry they have pledged into Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Western sanctions triggered by the invasion sent the ruble plummeting, leading Russians to line up at banks and ATMs.

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The Russian military assault on Ukraine went into its fifth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his nuclear forces put on increased alert, ratcheting up tensions yet further.

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND?

Kyiv’s outgunned but determined troops slowed Russia’s advance and held onto the capital and other key cities — at least for the time being.

Explosions and gunfire that have disrupted life since the invasion began last week appeared to subside around Kyiv overnight. Long lines formed outside supermarkets Monday as residents were allowed out of bomb shelters and homes for the first time since a curfew imposed Saturday

Exact death tolls are unclear, but Ukraine’s president says at least 16 children have been killed and another 45 wounded, among hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other casualties. Millions have fled homes or the country.

U.S. officials say they believe the invasion has been more difficult, and slower, than the Kremlin envisioned, though that could change as Moscow adapts. The British Defense Ministry said Monday that the bulk of Putin’s forces are about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Kyiv, their advance having been slowed by Ukrainian forces.

IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR DIPLOMACY?

That’s hard to tell. Ukrainian and Russian delegations met Monday on Ukraine’s border with Belarus but it was unclear what, if anything, those talks would yield.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said Kyiv’s delegation would demand an immediate cease-fire.

While Ukraine sent its defense minister and other top officials, the Russian delegation is led by Putin’s adviser on culture — an unlikely envoy for ending the war and a sign of how Moscow views the talks. It wasn’t immediately clear what Putin is seeking in the talks or from the war itself.

Western officials believe Putin wants to overthrow Ukraine’s government and replace it with a regime of his own, reviving Moscow’s Cold War-era influence. His comments Sunday raised fears that the invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war, whether by design or mistake.

The U.N.’s two major bodies — the 193-nation General Assembly and the more powerful 15-member Security Council — are holding separate meetings  Monday.

The Security Council gave a green light Sunday for the first emergency session of the General Assembly in decades. It will give all U.N. members an opportunity to speak about the war Monday and vote on a resolution later in the week.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH RUSSIA’S NUCLEAR DETERRENT?

The Russian military said its nuclear deterrent forces have been put on high alert in line with Putin’s order.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that command posts of all components of Russia’s nuclear forces have been beefed up with additional personnel.

The Defense Ministry said that the high alert status applies to all components of Russian nuclear forces — the Strategic Missile Forces that oversee land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Northern and Pacific Fleets that have submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles; and long-range aviation, which has a fleet of nuclear-capable strategic bombers.

Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to be put on high alert Sunday, citing Western sanctions and “aggressive statements” by NATO powers.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE FLED?

The head of the United Nations refugee agency said that more than 500,000 people had fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since Russia’s invasion started on Thursday.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, gave the updated figure in a tweet. A day earlier, he had said that 368,000 people had crossed into Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and other countries.

Shabia Mantoo, a UNHCR spokeswoman, said the latest and still growing count had 281,000 in Poland, more than 84,500 in Hungary, about 36,400 in Moldova, over 32,500 in Romania and about 30,000 in Slovakia.

The rest were scattered in unidentified other countries, she said.

WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN UNION DOING?

European Union defense ministers were to meet Monday to discuss how to get weaponry they have pledged into Ukraine.

Germany’s defense minister said without elaborating that her country has “channels and possibilities” to do that, and a trainload of Czech equipment arrived Sunday. Blocking off those shipments will clearly be a key Russian priority.

That action comes on top of a raft of Western economic sanctions in which the EU has been a leading player, and the 27-nation bloc has agreed to close its airspace to Russian airlines.

WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT?

The Russian currency plunged about 30% against the U.S. dollar on Monday after Western nations moved to block some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system and to restrict Russia’s use of its massive foreign currency reserves. The ruble later recovered ground after swift action by Russia’s central bank.

People wary that sanctions would deal a crippling blow to the economy have been flocking to banks and ATMs for days, with reports on social media of long lines and machines running out.

Moscow’s department of public transport warned city residents over the weekend that they might experience problems with using Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay to pay fares because VTB, one of the Russian banks facing sanctions, handles card payments in Moscow’s metro, buses and trams.

Economists and analysts said that a sharp devaluation of the ruble would mean a drop in the standard of living for the average Russian. Russians are still reliant on a multitude of imported goods and the prices for those items are likely to skyrocket.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the new sanctions as “heavy,” but argued Monday that “Russia has the necessary potential to compensate the damage.”

Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.

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