On July 15, 2022, the 79.9-foot-long yacht Pegasus caught fire while moored at the Peninsula Yacht Basin in Gig Harbor, Washington. No persons were on board, and the fire burned for about an hour before it was reported. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had engulfed the aft section of the yacht, and the flames could not be completely extinguished. The fire was eventually doused when the vessel sank by its stern at its berth. The Pegasus was a total loss, estimated at $1.5 million. A vessel
docked nearby also suffered minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the fire aboard the recreational yacht Pegasus was spontaneous combustion due to the self-heating of used oil-soaked rags that had been improperly disposed of on the aft deck of the vessel.
Fire Hazard with Oily Rags
Rags soaked with oil-based finishes, which are commonly used for painting and refinishing, pose a fire hazard if stored improperly. Because they generate heat as they
dry, oily rags that are piled up, put together in a trash can, or bagged do not allow the heat to escape, creating a high risk for spontaneous combustion. To prevent a fire, users of oil-based products (or any chemical product) should carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleanup and disposal of rags, steel wool, brushes, and
other applicators.
The vessel owner and his employee told investigators that, on the day before the fire, they had been refinishing the wood surfaces of the vessel using a name-brand teak oil finish. The teak oil was applied to the surfaces with a brush, and excess oil was wiped off using microfiber towels. After completing the work, the employee stated that he wrapped the used towels in new towels, placed them in a plastic bag, and left the bag under the wood table on the aft deck of the yacht. He and the owner then left the vessel between 1600 and 1700 that same evening.
The oil finish used by the owner and employee was sold in metal cans with the following warning printed on the label:
DANGER: RAGS, STEEL WOOL OR WASTE SOAKED WITH WATCO® TEAK OIL MAY SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH FIRE IF IMPROPERLY DISCARDED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH USE, PLACE RAGS, STEEL WOOL OR WASTE IN A SEALED WATER-FILLED METAL CONTAINER. FOR DISPOSAL OF RAGS AND UNUSED AMOUNTS OF PRODUCT CONTACT YOUR LOCAL OR STATE GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL AGENCY.
The product contained raw linseed oil, a substance known to be a risk for self-heating and spontaneous combustion when soaked in rags.
CLICK HERE for the NTSB report