Fire on the Sally Star

It was the early hours of 25^th August 1994 and the roll-on-roll-off car ferry Sally Star was making her way from Dunkirk to Ramsgate with 104 crew and 17 passengers on board on a routine Channel crossing that normally took just a matter of hours. The ferry was build in Helsinki, Finland, in 1981 and had undergone a number of owner and name changes before being taken over by Sally Line in 1988. At 450 feet long and 74 feet wide, she could carry over 1700 passengers and 105 crew along with a car deck full of vehicles – over 400! As with all RORO ferries, vehicles could access both bow and stern doors making this type of ferry easily accessible for a quick turnaround.

Not long after the ship sailed, a fire detection panel on the bridge indicated a fire in the main engine room. When engineers went to investigate, black smoke was seen pouring out of the spaces. The engine was shut down, but then different systems on board started to fail such as the navigation lighting and steering gear. At 0422 Hours the general alarm was sounded and a few minutes later Dover Coastguard was called, all this while onboard fire teams prepared to attempt to fight the fire with breathing apparatus. Within minutes the few passengers had assembled and the emergency services were on their way to the stricken ferry.

As the fire teams were beaten back, the ships halon system was discharged into the compartment, the decks now starting to heat up significantly. In less than an hour after the first call, Ramsgate lifeboat and the tug Anglian River had arrived on scene. Now an incredible scene was played out as the lifeboat took on 102 people via the tug, crowded onto the upper decks to escape the burning ship, the lifeboat slowly making its way back to dry land while helicopters landed fire crews to help with the fire fight.

With only 19 crew left on board, 20 fire fighters now assisted with the battle as the ship, now at anchor in the middle of the Channel. One crewman was injured and was evacuated off the ship while boundary cooling was taking place on the decks, the tug spraying the side of the ship to ensure the fire didn’t spread further. As the morning progressed, more fire teams and tugs arrived on scene. By 1112 Hours that morning, Dover Coastguard reported the fire as being extinguished.

This could well have turned into a major sea disaster if it wasn’t for the rescue operation running like clockwork and the modern survival equipment on board the ship preventing the fire spreading. The image of a crowded lifeboat entering port with the survivors was one that made the papers the following day as everybody cheered for those who took part in what was surely a miracle in the Channel. The dangers of the RORO ferry and the open car decks were not just concerning through its ability to spread a fire though, for just a month later Europe was hit by its worst ever ferry disaster when the Estonia sank in the Baltic, once again highlighting the problems these ships face when disaster strikes.

An investigation reported that the cause of the fire was leaking fuel vapour igniting on the hot surfaces. Within less than two months the Sally Star was back at sea fully repaired. Other than a small collision in 1997 and a slight grounding in 2008, she has since had a good record of successful voyages. She did, however, suffer a fire in the Channel in 1988 where she had to be towed to Ramsgate.  In 1997 she was sold again to a Scandinavian company, changed hands (and names) on numerous occasions and the ship still operates today as the Wasa Express ploughing the waves of the Mediterranean.