Electrical fault likely triggered fire on pipelayer, NTSB says

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its findings regarding a fire that broke out aboard the pipelayer Deep Energy in late 2024.

The Deep Energy arrived at the Millard Maritime facility in Theodore, Alabama, on November 24, 2024, to begin a five-week annual maintenance period. While 126 crew members were on board during the early hours of December 1, a smoke detector within the knuckle boom crane cabin activated the fire alarm panel on the bridge at 03:52.

The senior chief mate immediately directed a rigging superintendent to investigate the alarm by climbing the 84-foot (25.6-metre) crane tower. Upon reaching the platform at 04:01, the superintendent confirmed a fire was burning on the starboard side of the cabin and attempted to use a carbon dioxide extinguisher.