Kitano (container ship)

The "Kitano" is a Japanese container ship.cite news
url=http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/marine/2001/m01m0017/m01m0017.pdf
title=Marine Investigation Report, Container Fire, Container Vessel Kitano, Off Chebucto Head, Nova Scotia, 22 March 2001
page=
pages=
publisher=Transportation Safety Board of Canada
author=
date=28 January 2003
accessdate=2008-02-13
quote=The wind and sea conditions stopped the fire tug CFAV Firebird from proceeding beyond themiddle harbour and prevented the other surface SAR vessels from getting alongside the vesselfor any length of time to assist.] cite news
url=http://www.tsb.gc.ca/en/reports/marine/2001/m01m0017/m01m0017_sec1.asp
title=Marine Investigation Report, Container Fire, Container Vessel Kitano, Off Chebucto Head, Nova Scotia, 22 March 2001: Summary
page=
pages=
publisher=Transportation Safety Board of Canada
author=
date=28 January 2003
accessdate=2008-02-13
quote=] She was launched in Japan, in 1990.

2001 fire

The "Kitano" left the Port of New York at 0730 on 21 March 2001.At 1600 the Kitano's crew observed that a container had caught fire.The container that caught fire contained 14 tons of activated carbon pellets impregnated with potassium hydroxide (caustic potash). Most of the pellets were in open mesh bags on wooden pallets.

Two nearby containers were: "...loaded with barrels of camphene-90 wax, a class 4.1 dangerous cargo."

At 1636 the Kitano requested assistance. Halifax was the nearest port. Search and Rescue aircraft were dispatched, as were several surface vessels, the CFAV "Firebird", the CCGS "Earl Grey" and the CCGC "Sambro".When the vessels were dispatched the wind was at force 8. The weather conditions proved too extreme for the Canadian Armed Forces dedicated fireboat, 140 ton "Firebird" to leave harbour. The Canadian Coast Guard vessels arrived, but were the weather prohibited anything beyond standing by.
HMCS "Moncton" and HMCS "Goose Bay" arrived on several hours later.
CCGS "Sir William Alexander" arrived at 0500 the next morning.

The vessels Japanese owners contracted with for assistance from Secunda Marine Services, the owners of the ocean-going salvage tug Ryan Leet.

Because of the danger of the fire spreading to the containers filled with camphene-90 wax the it was not considered safe to allow the "Kitano" to enter harbour for almost 24 hours.

Because of the weather the "Kitano"'s crew had been fighting the fire without assistance for 25 hours before they received any outside assistance.

The fire was extinguished by 2215. The content of fifteen containers had been damaged by the fire or by the fire fighting efforts. The Kitano departed Halifax on March 26 2001 with the rest of her cargo.

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