Fire quelled aboard Melbourne

By Graham Davis

Quick action by the ship’s company and the warship’s halon extinguishing system, have quelled a fire in the engine room of HMAS Melbourne, (CMDR Vern Dutschke).

The fire broke out in one of the ship’s two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines.
It began during the night of Tuesday, July 22 when the warship and her ship’s company were conducting sea trials off the east coast of NSW.

“The fire was extinguished within five minutes,” a statement from the RAN said later.
“There were no injuries to the ship’s personnel.”

In addition to the halon injection, sailors set up hoses to cool the area and ensure the fire was confined to the turbine module.

Melbourne returned to Fleet Base East arriving around dawn the next day.

Units of the NSW Fire Brigades met her. They reported a slight fire in the engine compartment. Brigade personnel had taken readings to determine if any dangerous fumes existed in the fire zone.

A Brigade spokeswoman said it was only two weeks earlier that the RAN and their firefighters had done training to cope with exactly the same emergency.

“The ship’s company reacted quickly and in accordance with laid down procedures and training which ensured that the fire was contained and prevented any personnel from being injured,” the RAN statement said.

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