Marine transportation

The occurrence

On July 22, 2022, a fire broke out in the engine room of the Holiday Island after a non-standard temporary repair made to the ferry’s fuel injection system failed and caused fuel to spray onto hot engine components and ignite. All passengers and non-essential crew members were safely evacuated, and a large-scale emergency response followed. Despite efforts from responders, the fire could not be extinguished, and the vessel was eventually abandoned.

Investigations conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) are complex since an accident rarely results from a single cause. In the case of the July 2022 engine room fire of the passenger ferry Holiday Island, near Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, several factors led to the accident.