Just after 10AM on June 28^th, Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department Boat 502 arrived on the scene of boat fire on the Potomac River. Flames could be seen erupting from the engine compartment and spreading toward the cabin slightly above the roofline. Within seconds the fire was knocked down. A short time later fire once again rose from the engine compartment. Why??? Because we were testing our new “burn boat”.

Over the winter, MERG was hard at work designing, constructing and welding on a 28’ Marinette. Reinforcing the vessel so it could be used for several types of training including fires, salvage and dive / recovery operations. The vessel has a burn pit constructed of steel to simulate engine compartment fires utilizing untreated wood and straw. The vessel has also been equipped with three high-GPH bilge pumps operated from a watertight battery compartment. A special design allows us to also sink the vessel thus allowing dive evidence recovery and salvage training for police departments and salvage companies. 

We plan to continue testing the vessel throughout the summer as we test our scenarios and prove the vessels seaworthiness.

Look for more news concerning the "Burn Boat" in the near future. In the mean time, see our photo gallery for pictures.