Capturing three different intentionally set powerboat fires of three different origins—electrical, engine compartment and cabin—a new five-minute video from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is essential viewing for anyone who owns a powerboat. The resulting safety report called “Findings 55” from the video of the same name is part of a long-running educational series devoted to boating-safety topics, according to a press release from BoatUS, the nation’s largest organization of recreational boat owners.

The latest onboard fire video from BoatUS is essential viewing for powerboat owners. (Click the image above to watch the video.)

Each powerboat fire is captured by 12 cameras, which provide multiple dramatic angles of the ensuing infernos. Each burn is timed from “first smoke” to when the boat in question is consumed by flames. The methodology for the intentional boat fires is described in the report noted above.

The video includes interviews with Kerry C. McCook, the president of the International Association of Marine Investigators, BoatUS vice-president Scott Croft, veteran marine writer John Wooldridge and first-responder officials, all of whom were on-hand for the powerboat fire demonstrations/experiments in Maryland.

Practical advice on the importance of detection and prioritizing your crew’s response, as well as fire prevention and preparation are included in the “Lessons Learned” section of the Findings 55 report.

“We’ve outlined some simple steps all boaters can take to improve their own fire safety,” said Ted Sensenbrenner, the BoatUS Foundation assistant director of boating safety, int the release. “We want to help boaters, for example, make the decision to add more fire extinguishers than the bare minimum required, or to properly connect their DSC VHF radio to the GPS so that the one-button mayday feature works when they really need it.”

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