Fire on a small boat in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

This guide does not replace training, current charts, or weather checks.

Steps

These steps are the Dubai guide. This page does not quote an Abu Dhabi fire procedure, an extinguisher drill, or a telephone number. Do not copy the Dubai numbers onto Abu Dhabi.

Before a fire starts

• The Dubai boating safety guide says most fires start from negligence and from not maintaining a fire-prevention system. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide names ignorance, indifference, negligence and sabotage as causes of a fire aboard. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide names poor storage of flammable or explosive materials as a cause. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide names a spark as a cause. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide names electrical faults as a cause. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide names discarding cigarette butts near hazardous areas as a cause. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says a fire needs fuel, heat and oxygen, which it calls the triangle of fire. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

• The Dubai guide says fire and smoke alarms are to be tested on a regular basis. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai checklist asks whether fire extinguishers are in good condition, ready to use and easily accessible. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai checklist says to check the meter on fire extinguishers. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• For an inboard engine, the Dubai guide says automatic fire extinguishers should be available, or another alternative such as a fire port. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide warns that opening a hatch to fight an engine-space fire can let in oxygen and make the fire spread. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

If a fire has started

• If a fire breaks out, the Dubai guide says to stop the engines and take care not to expose any nearby marine craft to any risks. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to request assistance and inform the official authorities of the details. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to operate the pumps to fight the fire. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to close fire hatches to surround the fire. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to provide passengers with life saving equipment. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to start a cooling operation around the fire. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to start fire fighting using available means until official teams arrive. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

A portable extinguisher

Use this only while the fire is still small enough for the extinguisher you are holding. The Dubai guide does not name a brand. If the label on the extinguisher disagrees with these lines, follow the label and the maker, and do not invent a third method.

• The Dubai guide says portable dry-powder extinguishers are for anyone present to fight a fire at an early stage. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says the extinguisher type you should use differs according to the type of fire. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to go to the fire carrying the appropriate extinguisher. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to pull the pin from the fire extinguisher. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to direct the ejector towards the base of the fire. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to press the operating lever and fight the fire with your back to the wind. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• To smother a fire, the Dubai guide says to close all vents where the fire is. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide says to move flammable material away from the fire to an isolated area, away from other combustibles. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, this page has no official fire procedure to quote. Use the current local notice and the people on the radio or the pontoon. Do not dial a Dubai number just because it is printed here.

A practical example

This is a decision story. It names no berth, no waypoint and no depth.

On a small boat in Dubai, the skipper smells scorching from the engine space. The skipper does not lift the hatch to look. The Dubai guide says that opening a hatch can feed the fire. The skipper stops the engines, keeps other boats clear, gets life-saving equipment onto the people aboard, and calls the Dubai numbers printed in this guide.

The same smell in Abu Dhabi is not a reason to use those Dubai numbers. The skipper still does not open the hatch, and asks the marina or the local authority on the channel already in use.

Common mistakes

• Opening an engine hatch to see how big the fire is.
• Stubbing out a cigarette near fuel, paint or a battery.
• Keeping a fire extinguisher buried under fenders, or ignoring a gauge that is not in the green.
• Using 999 or 996 in Abu Dhabi because a Dubai page listed them.
• The Dubai guide warns that opening a hatch to fight an engine-space fire can let in oxygen and make the fire spread. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai guide names discarding cigarette butts near hazardous areas as a cause. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

Checklist

• The Dubai guide says fire and smoke alarms are to be tested on a regular basis. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai checklist asks whether fire extinguishers are in good condition, ready to use and easily accessible. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• The Dubai checklist says to check the meter on fire extinguishers. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• For an inboard engine, the Dubai guide says automatic fire extinguishers should be available, or another alternative such as a fire port. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)
• Everyone knows which extinguisher matches the fire they can actually fight, and which space they must not open.
• In Dubai, the three printed numbers are written down. In Abu Dhabi, the number comes from a current official source, not from this page.

When to stop or seek help

Stop fighting the fire if the extinguisher does not knock it down at once, if smoke fills the boat, or if the only way to reach it is to open a closed engine hatch. Get people into life-saving equipment and call. Do not stay below to finish the job.

The Dubai guide warns that opening a hatch to fight an engine-space fire can let in oxygen and make the fire spread. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The Dubai guide says to start fire fighting using available means until official teams arrive. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The Dubai boating safety guide lists 999 for Police Operations in Dubai. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The same Dubai guide lists 996 for Coast Guard Operations. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

The same Dubai guide lists 04/ 3459999 for the Ports Police Station. (source, Dubai, checked 2026-10-28)

Those three lines are Dubai. Abu Dhabi is not given a number here.

Sources checked for this guide

• https://pcfc.ae/en/DMA/Marine%20Guides/Boating%20Safety%20Guide.pdf — Dubai, checked 2026-10-28.