# Sch 302 On Fire



## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
VELSEN-SHIP-PRUSSIC ACID 
VELSEN[The Netherlands]
A fire on a fishery ship[SCH302] in the port of Noord-Holland's Velsen, prussic acid has been released. The town majors of Velsen and Beverwijk have cleared all companies in the surroundings area;the fire departement is very busy with extinguishing of the burning boat. DUTCH PRESS AGENCY PHOTO UNITED PHOTOS 
Source courtesy/© ANP
©photographer Robin van Lonckhuijsen


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Another shot of the accident,and also seen in better days.
The SCH 302=WILLEM VAN DER ZWAN


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Is this fire recent, Ruud, or is it going on now??


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Fresh from the press,still burning, fire started this afternoon, just a few hours ago, was just on the telly news at 17:00 hrs CET.


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## Gavin Gait (Aug 14, 2005)

Not again surely....

The SCH21 Friesland was burned out and condemned a couple of years ago after welding flash started a fire when in refit. I hope the fire brigade can put out this fire before this freezer trawler is too badly damaged to be repaired as she is a new ship.

Keep us updated if you can please.

Davie (Thumb)


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Thanks Ruud!


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Will try to put a link to the NOS Journaal[Dutch TV] as for the stuff that came free is signified as a colourless fluid which smells to almonds, and very dangerous.So all windows closed in the area and people are warned not to use ventilations systems.
You can see now that Journaal at this link:

http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/beeld_en_geluid/index.html

And scroll to Reportages NOS journaal and click on the the video:

*Grote brand op vissersboot Velsen-Noord*


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Fire started this morning at 09:00, the A-9[between Velsen-Beverwijk] is closed due the enormous smoke developments.


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Just took these piccies from the telly,fire is still going on and they don't expect it will be extinguished in the next couple of hours, could even take days as was reported.


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Next series:


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy,
Latest update:
Ship is still on fire, and as said by experts: it could go on for days, as it is very difficult to extinguish due to the smoke.The fire broke out in the middle of the vessel, while repairing the refrigirated systems, gladly the ammoniac for those systems wasn't delivered yet, should be delivered end of this week.
The vessel was since the end of 2006 for repairs in IJmuiden-Velsen, and all work done, is gone by now,no one is/was hurt,as 50 persons were working on her at the moment.No more alarm/emergency for prussic-acid and coal-monoxide,as was given before.


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

I think I am right in saying that Prussic Acid produces cyanide. Not the sort of thing you want to get downwind of. No wonder they cleared those towns.

Brian


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy Brian,
I think you are right with this conclusion,yep there are a lot of dangerous structures in vessels for isolation, in the old days all were full of asbestos, nowadays with other stuffs.In a distance of 1 KM all is cleared, *as the fire is still on*, and will get extinguished with all men & materials asap after the morning traffic jam.


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

many thanks for the updates Ruud.


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## Gavin Gait (Aug 14, 2005)

Having seen photo's on another site (  1  ,  2  ,  3  ) i'd say she is going to suffer the same fate as the Friesland and be scrapped as beyond ecconomic repair. She seem to be on fire from stern to stem. Sad day for the owners I hope it doesn't take them long to get things sorted out and a replacement vessel aquired/built.

The only good thing is that no one has been hurt , small good news but thankfull none the less.

Davie


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

*Latest!*

Ahoy,
Latest update, just watched on RTL4 News:
Ahoy,
Vessel is making 12° to BB side and still burning,due to too much extinguish water,there's no more smoke, but the *whole vessel is still on fire*.Neighbours[most of them living in home-arks,nearby] still not allowed to get back to their homes, due to to the risks of toxic materials that might come free.
Vessel will be declared a total loss, as was presumed.
So, it should be said:'a very sad day' for the company,crew and all who had worked on her during this repair period.A fine vessel is gone,was considered to be the number one trawler in the world.
Length overall
143 metres 
Beam 
18,7 metres 
Depth/draught 
7 metres 
Holding capacity 
6.000 tonnes 
Freezing capacity 
300 T/24 hours
Output main engine 
10.000 HP


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

Does anyone know why a vessel of this type would have prussic acid on board?

Brian


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## Bearsie (Nov 11, 2006)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_cyanide
The article seems to focus on the toxic qualities of the chemical.
It apparently becomes prussic acid when mixed with water.
Used in a variety of chemical production processes, including some plastics.
Also occurs natually

I couldn't find anything about its use on Freezer trawlers,
other than pest control perhaps. Or it could have been released from burning plastic insulation ?

The fire definitely looks like the end of the ship


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## AVD (Feb 1, 2007)

Bearsie said:


> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_cyanide
> Or it could have been released from burning plastic insulation ?


Burning of nitrogen-containing plastic (wich is onboard in huge quantities..Purschuim isolation a.o.) releases prussic Acid (The principal use of hydrogen cyanide is in the manufacture of organic chemicals, e.g., acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, and adiponitrile, that are used in producing synthetic fibers and plastics.).


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

*Fire Under Control*

Ahoy,
*Fire under control* 
After almost three days at four o'clock yesterday-afternoon[in fact on friday morning 11:00 CET] a ' fire under control ' signal was given by the fire brigade in Velsen-Noord, concerning the freeze-trawler Willem van der Zwan. Damping down will last a couple of hours/days. But, Wijsmuller rescue worker says Piet Nauta: ' the temperature decreases now already.' At last.
There's been a lot of critism, as the fire brigades had a lack of experience to handle correctly the suppression of this fire.
As several fires were not accessible, the fire brigades even predominated to pump the ship full with water and let her sink.
This was stopped by recommendation from experts of the salvage company Svitzer Wijsmuller, just on time.
Crew members of the trawler had also critics on the working method of the regional fire brigade. They say that the fire on the ship could have limited if the crew had got the permission and occasion to get to the open heat-insulation - and ventilation portholes by closing them, thus of the people concerned.


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## Bearsie (Nov 11, 2006)

Hindsight is always 20/20
I suggest we find another similar trawler and set in on fire
to give the Velsen Fire dept a chance to get it right this time,
now that they are trained ... 
In places like Velsen is there actually training for the fire brigade on how to fight ship fires?


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## ruud (Dec 6, 2004)

Ahoy Bearsie,


> In places like Velsen is there actually training for the fire brigade on how to fight ship fires?


Nope,there isn't,thats why there is a lot of critism,and indeed in places such as Velsen-IJmuiden it should!(MAD)
As this was said in particularly by logistics salvage-head-leader of Svitzer Wijsmuller,Mr.Bram Sperling.
Svitzer Wijsmuller has called as salvage company immediately, but was only asked by the fire brigade to get there one day later to assists as specialists.So I believe and in my opinion there's a lot of work to be done, how to get a fire stopped on a vessel,as this one was along a quayside, and much easier to get extinguished by road and water.
There are also lots of Liners/Passenger vessels going through out the year to Amsterdam passing by the locks of IJmuiden, what will happen next time??? It will always be a question?!


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Hi Rudd 
Thanks for reports mate, maybe there are lessons to be learned from this disaster, thank the lord no-one got hurt, take care all the best Bill(Thumb)


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