Engine-room fire breaks out aboard Boston ferry Aurora

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
 
(BOSTON) — The Coast Guard was notified at 10:56 a.m., Wednesday Jan. 20, 2010, of a fire on board the ferry Aurora near Spectacle Island in Boston. The crew of the Aurora notified the Coast Guard of the fire on VHF-FM channel 16 before they used the boat’s installed CO2 fire extinguishing system to put out the fire.
Coast Guard Station Point Allerton responded with a 41-foot utility boatcrew and were on scene at around 11:21 a.m.
At around 11:34 a.m., the five crew members from the Aurora were accounted for and safely ashore. There were no passengers aboard.
The Aurora is currently moored at Spectacle Island where the fire has been put out and the engine compartment is being vented.
The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the situation and will ensure repairs are made before the vessel returns to service.
“Because of the crew’s swift action, they were able to control the situation and arrive safely ashore,†said Ensign Warren Rivera, operations controller at Coast Guard Sector Boston. “We are glad everyone is safe and we will continue to monitor the situation.â€
By Professional Mariner Staff