Rescue authorities in the UK say a fire aboard the 31,900-gt ro-pax ferry Oscar Wilde (built 1987) has been contained.  The UK’s Falmouth Coastguard was alerted to the incident via a telephone call from the ferry’s crew.

“The crew of the Oscar Wilde reported that they had a fire in the engine room,” the UK’s Maritime And Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. The ship is operated by Irish Ferries and had been in Falmouth Docks for a refit departing the UK port that afternoon with113 crew on board.

Falmouth Coastguard dispatched the Coastguard tug Anglian Princess and requested the launch of two local RNLI lifeboats to standby the vessel. Three tugs have also left Falmouth Docks to assist.

A fire fighting team was airlifted to the vessel by helicopter to assist the crew in the handling of the incident on board the vessel. “The fire is in the engine room and has been suppressed by the fire systems onboard. The crew is conducting boundary cooling,” the MCA said.

James Instance, Duty Area Officer, Falmouth Coastguard said: “The master called us as soon as he was aware of the fire having anchored two miles south of the Falmouth pilot station. We were then able to put into place procedures that we have tried and tested in routine exercises with MIRG fire fighting teams throughout the UK.”

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch have been informed, the MCA said.

Source: Tradewinds, February 2010