In March of 2023 a pretty significant dockside fire occurred that resulted in approximately $3M in damage to the Spirit of Boston. In December of 2024, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published its findings on the incident. The fire resulted from an improperly extinguished chafing fuel canister that ignited a plastic glassware rolling rack.
Among the contributing causes cited by the NTSB were the lack of documented procedures for handling of open flame devises, failure of the company to develop a Safety Management System (SMS) that would have established mechanisms for the company to identify unsafe practices and fire risks, and the lack of trained crew left aboard to execute the emergency response plan.
Recommendations by the NTSB included a reiteration of Safety Recommendation M 12 3 to the US Coast Guard to require all operators of US-flag passenger vessels to implement SMSs. Similar recommendations from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board resulted in new regulations mandating Safety Management for virtually all Canadian domestic commercial vessels.
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