Great information Steve. Thanks for a great post that we can all benefit from.

Rod at Rapid Fire

From: Sprinklerforum <[email protected]> On Behalf 
Of Steve Leyton
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2019 10:36 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Boat Storage

Boat storage is one of the highest hazards imaginable, with sometimes dense 
arrays of trailered and/or racked boats composed of fiberglass shells with foam 
cores.  There have been a few boat storage fires over the past few years, most 
recently one in Georgia on 7 October, 2018.  That fire consumed 86 (I think, 
accounts vary) boats and burned TO THE GROUND.   A couple of compelling 
pictures can be found here:

https://patch.com/georgia/buford/86-boats-lost-during-fire-buford-dam-road-boat-storage

I November there was a smaller fire at a boat yard in Marblehead, MA that 
consumed 6 boats.  Compelling phots can be found here, showing just how 
completely involved these foam sandwich hulls get and how insane the release 
rate can be:

https://www.wcvb.com/article/fire-at-boat-storage-yard-under-investigation/25355347

I’m not an FPE and won’t guess at what the recommended protection should be, 
but I wonder if protecting for Group A is adequate – exposed expanded perhaps?  
  EVERYTHING on a boat can burn except the SS hardware and engine blocks.  Also 
should verify whether the facility has a “dry” storage mandate so that fuel 
tanks are emptied before admission.

In his presentations over the years, Chief Ron Coleman has often told the story 
of the fire that changed him from firefighter into fire prevention advocate.   
If I recall correctly, it was in the Sacramento area and was a boat storage 
fire and it burned over 100 boats into dust.   He said it was so hot they could 
feel it a quarter-mile away.   At that moment, the lightbulb came on when he 
realized that sprinklers might have prevented the fire.   These facilities are 
nasty, nasty stuff.

Steve L.

From: Sprinklerforum [mailto:[email protected]] On 
Behalf Of Fpdcdesign
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2019 9:24 AM
To: Sprinklerforum
Subject: Re: Boat Storage

Rack storage?


On Feb 21, 2019 at 12:21 PM, <James Crawford<mailto:[email protected]>> 
wrote:
I have been asked to look at a new building for boat storage but cannot seem to 
find any guidance, has anyone done a boat storage building that can point me in 
the right direction.


Thank you


James Crawford
Phaser Fire Protection Ltd.
Phone  604-888-0318
Fax 604-888-4732
Cel 604-790-0938
Email  [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Web www.phaserfire.ca<http://www.phaserfire.ca>

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