Climate

A chemical kept fishmeal from catching fire. Then scientists raised cancer concerns

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 09/10/2026, 13:09:24 UTC.

Briefings

A 1966 South African ship fire at sea caused by fishmeal powder burning for five days, followed by two subsequent fires in 1966 involving Liberian and Danish vessels. Historical records indicate at least 90 ship and plant fires between the 1950s and 1970s, with fishmeal being the consistent culprit due to its spontaneous combustion properties. Fishmeal is essential for aquaculture but poses significant fire risks. The Outlaw Ocean Project investigated these incidents, though specific casualty numbers and exact dates for the Liberian and Danish fires are not fully detailed in the excerpt.

Key points

• A South African ship caught fire at sea in 1966, burning for five days before being extinguished by firefighters at a British port.
• At least 90 fires involving fishmeal occurred between the 1950s and 1970s, with the powder's spontaneous combustion as the primary cause.

Context and limitations

The source excerpt covers three specific fires from 1966 but does not provide casualty figures or exact dates for the Liberian and Danish incidents. The investigation by the Outlaw Ocean Project is noted, but the full scope of historical data beyond the 1950s-1970s range is limited to the provided text.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 09/10/2026, 13:23:49 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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