TSB: Fuel Leak Due to Casual Repair Caused Fire on Canada’s Oldest Laker

The fire that broke out in the engine room of Canada’s oldest vessel operating on the Great Lakes in 2023, the Cuyaoga, was a disaster waiting to happen, according to a new report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). The report cites a history of repeated fuel leaks and dangers that were often resolved with casual repairs on fuel injection pipes.

Built in 1943 in Ohio by the American Ship Building Company, Cuyahoga was a historic bulk freighter launched as the J. Burton Ayers to transport iron ore during World War II. She was later converted into a self-unloading ship and was renamed Cuyahoga in 1995 by Lower Lakes Towing, part of Rand Logistics. Her original steam plant was finally converted to diesel in 2000, and she continued to maintain seasonal services on the Lakes transporting dry bulk commodities like coal, salt, grain, and crushed stone.

On May 23, 2023, the Cuyahoga left Marblehead, Ohio, on a regular voyage bound for Kingsville. Three hours into the voyage, a fire ignited in the engine room, forcing the 20 crewmembers to initiate emergency responses. The 620-foot (189-meter) vessel was loaded with 11,400 metric tonnes of granular crushed stone.

To avert a disaster, the crew responded by cutting the fuel supply to the main engine before attempting to activate the vessel’s carbon dioxide (CO2) fixed fire suppression system remotely, which was without success. An attempt to locally activate the system also failed and resulted in the cylinder room flooding with CO2. However, due to the cessation of fuel flow, the engine stopped, and the fire extinguished itself soon after as the vessel was anchored north of Pelee Island, Ontario.

TSB investigators established that the fire was caused by fuel spraying from a disconnected injection line onto exposed hot surfaces of the engine’s exhaust gas piping. It emerged that after an earlier repair, the retaining clamps were not reinstalled on the fuel injection lines, increasing the effects of engine vibration, something that made the lines susceptible to loosening. TSB terms it one of the many casual repairs that were undertaken on the aging bulker.

Following the earlier engine repair, recurring minor leaks were addressed as routine maintenance without investigating the underlying cause. Although the practice deviated from the manufacturer's specifications, the crew was unaware as they lacked regular access to updated maintenance and torque specifications from the engine manufacturers.

The investigation established that while vibration is inherent in all diesel engines due to various factors, the Cuyahoga’s main engine systems showed the effects of excessive engine vibration. To reduce the effects of vibration on the fuel injection line fittings, retaining clamps had been added to secure the fuel injection lines to the cylinder heads, making the lines more rigid and reducing mechanical vibration in the fuel injection lines.

TSB writes in its report that Cuyahoga's fuel injection return line for cylinder 7 was disconnected, which resulted in a spray of marine diesel oil. They believe all the retaining clamps on the fuel injection lines were most likely removed in 2021 when the crew replaced the fuel supply and return manifolds.

The CO2 fire suppression system failed due to several factors, reports TSB. The remote release cables had been routed through the engine room and were damaged by the fire, rendering them inoperative. When the crew attempted a manual release, TSB reports the system discharged CO2 into the cylinder room instead of the engine room, due to incorrect activation instructions and loose or missing components.

Two days after the fire, the vessel was towed to Kingsville. No injuries or pollution were reported, but the bulker’s engine room and associated machinery sustained heat and smoke damage. The main engine and various electrical cables and equipment also sustained moderate to severe fire damage.

Although the aged vessel returned to service following the incident, another fire broke out while she was docked in Ashtabula, southwest of Erie, Ohio, on Lake Erie, in March 2024. That fire occurred while the vessel was being prepared after winter layup, but it ended her long career. In July, Cuyahoga was towed into the IMS Docks for scrapping.

TSB warns that the issues raised in this investigation, particularly around emergency procedures and the use and maintenance of fixed fire suppression systems, are not unique and affect the safety of marine transportation across Canada. The safety organization reports it started a more wide-reaching national safety issue investigation in July 2025 after having raised concerns about these issues for years. TSB says it is in the process of building a clearer understanding of how vessel fires are currently managed and identifying the gaps in Canada’s preparedness for marine emergencies.