Liquid gas carrier fire A SPANISH LIQUID gas carrier Butaseis, lying at anchor three quarters of a mile off Brixham breakwater with a fire in her crew's quarters, was reported to the honorary secretary of Torbay lifeboat station at 0749 on Friday December 28, 1979, by Brixham Coastguard.

Lifeboat assistance was urgently required. Maroons were fired immediately and within 15 minutes the 46ft 9in Watson relief lifeboat Lilla Marras, Douglas and Will, on temporary duty at Torbay, set out under the command of Coxswain Arthur Curnow.

There was a fresh, force 5, north-westerly breeze blowing and the sea was slight. It was low water.

Meanwhile, the master and crew of Butaseis had abandoned ship and by 0806 they had been picked up from their ship's lifeboats by an outward bound trawler, MFV Shirley Betty.

They were landed at Brixham.

The real cause for alarm was the danger of explosion aboard the casualty as she was carrying 740 tons of liquid butane gas. It was estimated later by the chief salvage officer that had she exploded it would have created a 'ball of fire', consuming everything within a three-mile radius.

A Brixham harbour pilot went aboard the casualty to clear her anchor so that she could be towed out to sea.

Although a request had been put out for any tugs in the area able to help, it was thought at first that the only boat immediately available capable of taking Butaseis in tow was the 80ft MFV Devon Ray for which Coxswain Curnow is the skipper. Coxswain Curnow had handed over command of the lifeboat to Acting Second Coxswain Fradd and got Devon Ray under waywhen an outward bound coaster, Deneb, returned to take the tow. Brixham pilot cutter passed her the tow, but it was found impossible to release the casualty's anchor because there was no power and the engine room was now on fire and inaccessible. The anchor cable was finally cut with acetylene cutting gear brought out from shore by the pilot cutter and Deneb then towed Butaseis out to sea escorted by the lifeboat, once more under the command of Coxswain Curnow. Everyone was conscious of the risks involved and during the passage Deneb'& master called the lifeboat to say, 'It is a great relief to see you there keeping us company.' When about eight miles off land, Deneb hove to head to wind. Although the weather was fine the breeze, now from the west, had risen to strong, force 6, and the sea was moderate with a 15-foot swell. HMS Anglesey and HM tug Typhoon arrived soon afterwards.

A Sea King helicopter took the chief salvage officer, Mr J. Evans, from shore and put him aboard Angelsey, which was asked to assume the role of 'on scene commander'.

From one mile off, Anglesey launched an inflatable boat with the chief salvage officer, ten RN personnel and fire fighting equipment on board, while the lifeboat transferred the first and second mates from Deneb to Butaseis. On the way to the casualty the engine of the naval inflatable failed and the boat was swamped. The lifeboat was soon on hand, however, to take off nine of the men and put them aboard Butaseis with their equipment, and she lent a bucket to the two men remaining in the inflatable so that they could bale out their boat. After putting the naval men aboard Butaseis the lifeboat transferred the tow line from Deneb to the tug Typhoon.

Despite the efforts made the fire could not be brought under control and at 1330 HMS Anglesey asked the.

lifeboat to take off the 11 men on board Butaseis and return them to their own ships. This was done. The chief salvage officer decided to keep Butaseis, now under tow of Typhoon, head to wind and, Anglesey patrolling a three-mile perimeter round the casualty to keep other shipping clear, to await HM tug Robust with full fire fighting equipment.

There now being no further need for the lifeboat, she was recalled; she returned to station at 1500 having been more than seven hours at sea. During the operation the lifeboat had been asked a number of times by the Coastguard and by Anglesey to go in close and report on the extent of the fire; for example smoke and flames coming from ventilators and port holes, and the state of blistered paint which at the waterline was so hot that steam rose as waves washed by.

It was December 30 before the fire fighting tug Robust and civilian firecrews were able, finally, to extinguish the fire on board Butaseis, which was eventually towed to Plymouth Sound.

For this service a letter of appreciation signed by John Atterton, deputy director of the Institution, was sent to Coxswain Arthur Curnow and his crew: Acting Second Coxswain Ernest Fradd, Motor Mechanic Stephen Bower and Crew Members Philip Burridge, Colin Bower and Michael Smith..