The Liberia Maritime Authority has sent out a marine advisory to reinforce the mandatory compliance requirements that govern engine room fire prevention, fire protection readiness, and safe machinery-space operations on Liberian-flagged vessels.
The authority added recent engine room fire incidents indicated that non-compliance with established regulations, marine notices, and safety requirements remained a significant causal factor.
Engine Room Fire Trends
Fires aboard Liberian-flagged vessels during 2025–2026 have been reviewed and the number of incidents in the Engine Room have been identified as follows:
- 46 fires in 2025, of which 21 involved the Engine Room
- 7 fires in 2026 (YTD), of which 4 involved the Engine Room
The pattern continues to show that heat sources combined with fuel/oil spray, incomplete ventilation shutdown, improper system readiness, and inadequate training remain core risks.
Marine Casualty case studies
The Administration has reviewed recent Engine Room fire incidents with similar root causes and a summary of representative, anonymized cases provided below.
- Engine Room Fire During Navigation Under Pilotage. A fire originated in the vicinity of auxiliary diesel generator machinery. Ventilation flaps, particularly upper-level closures, could not be fully secured, allowing continued oxygen supply and enabling rapid fire growth. Crew members assigned to activate the CO₂ system were not fully familiar with the activation sequence, resulting in incomplete cylinder discharge.
- Auxiliary Engine Internal Mechanical Failure. A sudden mechanical failure caused fuel and lubricating oil to spray onto hot engine surfaces. Heavy smoke forced the evacuation of the Engine Room. The water mist system did not activate due to a lack of emergency power interconnection, resulting in significant structural and equipment damage.
- Fuel System Component Failure (Filter Cover Failure). A diesel engine filter cover failed during operation, resulting in lubricating-oil spray onto the lubricating oil and exhaust components. The fire was extinguished, but the surrounding cabling, lights, and machinery sustained heat and smoke damage.
- Fourth Case – High-Pressure Fuel Pipe Failure (Main Engine). A high-pressure fuel line ruptured, projecting atomized fuel onto the exhaust manifold and causing immediate ignition. Ventilation was secured, and CO₂ was released, extinguishing the fire. Affected main-engine units and Engine Room systems require further engineering assessment and root-cause analysis.
Key Safety Failures Identified in four outlined cases
- Fuel/oil spray contacting uninsulated or inadequately shielded hot surfaces.
- Missing, damaged, oil-soaked, or deteriorated thermal insulation.
- Incomplete closing of Engine Room ventilation flaps and dampers.
- Crew unfamiliarity with CO₂ activation sequence, remote cabinet use, and pilot cylinder initiation.
- Water-mist systems are not fully functional on emergency power.
- Improper torque, workmanship deficiencies, or vibration leading to component failure.
- Emergency response without full PPE and BA sets.
- Inadequate maintenance records or incomplete testing logs.
The notice also included information on Flag Administration Requirements and best practices alongside details of mandatory actions to ensure conformity with Liberian and IMO standards.
Read the full notice: Liberia Maritime Authority Marine Advisory 03-2026 - Engine room fire prevention