Ecstasy (1998) | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Field	Value
Incident type	Fire
Severity	High
Region	United States
Location	Port of Miami to the Miami sea buoy, Florida, United States

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel name	Ecstasy
Vessel type	Passenger ship / cruise ship
Flag state	Liberia
IMO number	8711344
Year built	1991
Length overall	261.9 m (859.4 ft)
Gross tonnage	70,367
Passengers aboard	2,565
Crew aboard	916
Owner	Carnival Corporation, Inc.

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date and time	1998-07-20; first fire alarm at 17:10 local time
Operation	Departure from Miami for a four-day cruise to Key West and Cozumel
Coordinates	25.6375, -80.4237
Fatalities
Injuries	23: 14 crew members and 9 passengers; 1 passenger was classified as serious because of the length of hospital stay
Missing
Vessel outcome	Fire extinguished; vessel returned to Miami under tow and berthed at about 01:30 on 1998-07-21
Direct damage	Fire, heat, smoke, and soot damage affected the main laundry and mangle exhaust ducts, the aft mooring deck, and electrical systems; loss of propulsion and steering followed.
Economic damage	More than USD 17 million

Key facts

The fire began in the main laundry after two crewmembers set up welding equipment to repair a mangle without first obtaining the required hot-work permit.
The NTSB found that a welding arc ignited lint in the laundry and that the fire spread through the mangle exhaust ducts and ventilation system.
Fire and smoke reached the aft mooring deck, where synthetic mooring lines ignited. Heat damaged electrical cables and caused the loss of propulsive power and most steering.
The NTSB report states that all passengers evacuated the affected areas. Two crewmembers became trapped on deck 2 and were rescued by firefighting teams.
The official report records 23 injuries, including 14 minor crew injuries, 8 minor passenger injuries, and 1 passenger classified as a serious injury victim because of hospital-stay length. It does not separately state a fatality count.

Narrative

Ecstasy was departing the Port of Miami for Key West when the bridge received a fire alarm at 17:10 indicating the main laundry on deck 2. Before the alarm, two galley fitters had been working on a malfunctioning mangle. They set up a portable welding machine without obtaining a hot-work permit. The NTSB found that a welding rod contacted the grounding clamp or mangle and produced an arc that ignited lint on the deck.

The fire spread from the mangle into its exhaust ducts and then through the ventilation system to the aft mooring deck. It ignited synthetic mooring lines and generated intense heat and smoke. The heat damaged electrical cables routed through an adjacent ventilation plenum, and the ship lost propulsive power and most steering while moving toward the Miami sea buoy. The master requested Coast Guard assistance. Six tugboats responded, including tugs that directed water at the stern and helped keep the ship headed into the wind.

Onboard firefighters brought the fire under control, and it was declared extinguished at about 21:09. The vessel was then maneuvered back toward Miami with tug assistance and berthed at Pier 8 at about 01:30 on 21 July. The NTSB recorded injuries to 14 crewmembers and 9 passengers, and Carnival estimated that fire and associated losses exceeded USD 17 million.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
1998-07-20 16:54	Ecstasy was outbound from the Port of Miami toward the Miami sea buoy.
1998-07-20 17:10	The bridge fire panel received the first alarm, indicating the main laundry.
1998-07-20 after 17:10	The laundry fire spread through the mangle exhaust ducts and ventilation system.
1998-07-20 17:54	The vessel lost propulsion and began drifting north.
1998-07-20 19:13	Responding tugs were at the scene; Coastal Miami made fast to the bow and other tugs applied water.
1998-07-20 21:09	The fire was declared extinguished.
1998-07-21 approximately 01:30	Ecstasy berthed at Pier 8, Port of Miami, after being maneuvered back with tug assistance.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Unauthorized welding in the main laundry	Confirmed finding	The NTSB determined that crewmembers performed welding without first complying with the required hot-work permit procedure.
Welding arc ignited accumulated lint	Confirmed finding	The NTSB found that the fire began in the laundry and was ignited by an arc from the welding machine; lint was present around the work area.
Laundry exhaust and ventilation design	Confirmed finding	The fire spread through the mangle exhaust ducts and the ventilation system toward the aft mooring deck.
No automatic suppression on the aft mooring deck	Confirmed finding	The NTSB identified the lack of an automatic fire-suppression system on the aft mooring deck as contributing to the extensive fire damage.
No automatic means to mitigate smoke and fire spread through ventilation ducts	Confirmed finding	The NTSB identified the absence of an automatic means of mitigating spread through the ventilation ducts as contributing to the damage.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the fire and issued Marine Accident Report MAR-01-01. The NTSB determined that the probable cause was unauthorized welding by crewmembers in the main laundry, which ignited accumulated lint in the ventilation system, together with Carnival Cruise Lines' failure to maintain the laundry exhaust ducts in a fire-safe condition. The NTSB also identified the absence of automatic suppression on the aft mooring deck and the absence of automatic ventilation fire and smoke mitigation as contributors to the extent of damage.

The official report does not separately state a fatality count. It records 23 injuries and describes the evacuation, rescue, firefighting, and return to port. It also records Carnival's estimate that fire and associated losses exceeded USD 17 million.

References

NTSB investigation page: Fire on Board the Liberian Passenger Ship Ecstasy
NTSB Marine Accident Report MAR-01-01
Source note: NTSB Ecstasy report