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Fire on pusher tug

On the IJmeer two kilometers off Uitdam, a fire broke out in the engine room of the "Friso", 68 gt (EU-No.: 02318398), on Sep 16, 2019, at 2 p.m. The crew failed to extinguish the fire and decided to close all windows and doors and fled onto the pushed barge which was loaded with grain. Smoke was billowing out of the superstructure. The fire brigade Marken and the KNRM Marken were alerted. At 2:40 p.m. the Coastguard ordered everyone to be evacuated. Fire boats and lifeboats which had attended took distance from the burning ship as the gas oil tanks were already glowing. According to the crew of the lifeboats, the crew did not leave the barge. The barge 'Provolare' which was nearby provided assistance as well as the work ship 'Chelsea B'. The ships which had a pump on board began to cool the deck of the internally burning tug RIBs approached and sprayed water over the deck. Around 2.50 p.m. the fire brigade from Uitdam arrived with the lifeboat 'Frans Verkade' of the KNRM. The tug was taken int tow by the fishing vessel "De Twee Gebroeders" and pulled northwards slowly, to enable the fire fighters to work smoke-free. The starboard side of the cabin was furhterd cooled by several ships. Around 3.10 p.m. the windows cracked and more smoke came out. The fire boat 'Jan van der Heijden 4' arrived from Amsterdam around 4.20 p.m. to provide assistance and to extinguish the engine room carefully with foam. When the 'RWS 25' of Rijkswaterstaat also arrived, the vessel was already well outside the fairway, so that the passing ship traffic was not affected. The fire fighters managed to gain control of the fire at 5.45 p.m. with 15 tons foam to avoid an oil pollution. Corps from all over the region had been busy to bring the foam to the tug which were carried to the scene by the fire boats of Amsterdam and Zaanstreek-Waterland. As far as was known, no oil got into the water. Rijkswaterstaat was present to combat any water pollution. The heavily damaged vessel was towed into the port of Urk on Sep 17. Dutch reports with photos: https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/cnt/dmf20190916_69694229/vrachtschip-in-brand-op-markermeer-vuur-onder-controle-update?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/252991/brand-op-duwboot-markermeer-veel-rook-uit-machinekamer https://binnenvaartkrant.nl/grote-brand-op-duwboot-geblust https://regiopurmerend.nl/2019/09/16/brand-in-machinekamer-van-duwboot-op-markermeer/