A preliminary federal report on the deadly Labor Day boat fire in the Channel Islands which killed 34 people shows that no one was on duty when the blaze started, and all six crew members were asleep. The National Transportation Safety Board report on the “Conception” disaster has a much different version of how the fire was discovered than earlier accounts.
It was initially reported that five crew members were awake, and on deck when the fire was discovered. The NTSB report says all six crew members were asleep. The new information indicates that one of the crew members was awakened by a noise. That crew member discovered the fire, and woke other crew members.
The Santa Barbara based boat sent out a distress call, and the crew tried to get to the passengers. But, they found fire and smoke blocking the two routes to the below deck passenger sleeping area. The flames forced them to jump into the ocean. Three of them swam back to the boat to try another rescue effort, but were again blocked by fire.
The crew told NTSB investigators there were no known electrical or mechanical issues.
The NTSB and other agencies are conducting overlapping investigations to try to determine the cause of the fire, and what things like training, equipment, and design might have played in the disaster. A final report could take more than a year.
