Disconnected Injection Line Caused Bulk Carrier Fire On Lake Erie, Says TSB

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report (M23C0104) into the May 2023 fire on the bulk carrier Cuyahoga, which occurred near Pelee Island on Lake Erie. The report highlights several safety issues in vessel maintenance and emergency systems.

The Cuyahoga departed Marblehead, Ohio, carrying a load of granular crushed stone bound for Kingsville, Ontario on May 23, 2023. Nearly three hours into the voyage, a fire broke out in the engine room.

The crew responded by cutting the fuel supply to the main engine and attempting to activate the ship’s CO₂ fixed fire suppression system remotely, but the system did not function. A manual attempt to activate the system also failed and instead caused the cylinder room to fill with CO₂. Since the fuel flow had already stopped, the engine shut down and the fire went out shortly after.

The investigation determined that the fire started when fuel sprayed from a disconnected injection line onto the exposed hot surfaces of the exhaust gas piping. Earlier repairs had been carried out without reinstalling the retaining clamps on the injection lines.

Without the clamps, engine vibrations made the lines more likely to loosen. This led to repeated small leaks, which were treated as routine maintenance tasks instead of being investigated for deeper causes. These practices did not meet the manufacturer’s specifications. The TSB added that the crew did not have regular access to updated maintenance and torque instructions from the engine manufacturer, leaving them unaware of the proper requirements.

Investigators also found multiple reasons for the CO₂ system failure. The remote release cables ran through the engine room and were damaged in the fire, leaving them unusable. The CO₂ was released into the cylinder room instead of the engine room after the crew tried to activate the system manually. This happened because of incorrect activation instructions and because some system components were either loose or missing.

The TSB said the issues found in this case are not limited to one vessel. Problems with fire suppression, emergency procedures, and maintenance point to wider, long-standing safety concerns in marine transport. The agency has been warning about these risks for years.

In July 2025, the TSB launched a national safety issue investigation to study how vessel fires are being managed across Canada. The aim is to better understand current preparedness and identify gaps in handling marine emergencies.

Reference: TSB

Source: Maritime Shipping News