USCG: Marine Boiler Burner Inspection, Safety Recommendations Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. June 9, 2026 On January 4, 2025, while moored in the Port of Mobile, Alabama, a foreign-flagged cargo vessel equipped with a SAACKE Monoblock Rotary Cup Burner SKVJ-M 14 Mark I burner system on a marine boiler experienced a significant engine room fire. The incident began with a high-pressure fuel leak from the oil fittings block, which caused atomized marine diesel oil to ignite on the hot surface of a nearby auxiliary generator exhaust stack. The fire rapidly spread from the boiler flat through two upper deck levels, resulting in extensive structural and equipment damage, though no personnel were injured. The subsequent marine casualty investigation identified critical mechanical and control system failures related to the burner's fuel system. The vessel's fixed water mist fire suppression system actuated automatically but was unable to control the fire, which was ultimately extinguished by manual activation of the engine room's fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) suppression system. The Coast Guard investigation revealed two primary causal factors: Seal Failure: During assembly of the oil fittings block, an O-ring intended to seal the high-pressure fuel interface between the oil flow meter and the oil fittings block was improperly seated, resulting in a pinched seal. This improper installation compromised the seal's integrity, leading to material failure over time and the eventual high-pressure release of fuel. Control System Misconfiguration: A software configuration error was identified in the burner control system. Following a normal shutdown sequence, the external marine gas oil (MGO) fuel supply pumps feeding the burner unit were not de-energized. This failure to secure the fuel pumps kept the fuel lines pressurized up to the burner's internal rapid shutoff valves. The residual high-pressure was a significant contributing factor to the volume and velocity of the MGO fuel rel