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C.F.A.V. Firebrand YTR–562
C.F.A.V. Firebrand YTR–562 (Photo from the Nauticapedia collection. )
The Royal Canadian Navy currently has two Fire–class tugs: the Firebrand YTR–562 (based at Esquimalt BC) and the Firebird YTR–561. (based at Halifax NS.) They are instantly identifiable, both with bright red superstructures. Our Victoria BC waterfront correspondent, Murray Polson, caught some interesting images of the Firebrand during her refit.
Fire class rescue boats can operate as tractor tugs if needed and they have a bollard pull of 7.5 tons but are really dedicated fire and rescue boats. They are considered Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessels and as such are manned by civilians.
Firebrand YTR-562 (Photo source unknown. )
The Fire class were constructed in 1978 combining both fire– and tractor tug capabilities. She is 23.17m (75.6') x 6.4m (21') x 2.6m (8.5') and displaces 140 tonnes. She is powered by two 365hp diesel Z–drives and a hydraulic tunnel bow thruster. She carries three manually–controlled 7.6 cm (3 inch) water monitors (nozzles) at the bow, stern, and above the wheel-house. She carries two diesel fire pumps, capable of 2,500gpm. They can deliver 19,000 litres of water per minute and carry twin 250 gallon (1,136.5 litre) tanks for fire suppressant foam in concentrated form.
Firebrand during refit in Victoria BC. (Photo from the Murray Polson collection. )
Firebrand during refit in Victoria BC. (Photo from the Murray Polson collection. )
Firebrand during refit in Victoria BC. (Photo from the Murray Polson collection. )
Firebrand wrapped up for sandblasting and painting. (Photo from the Nauticapedia collection. )
Site News: April 24, 2024
The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 92,289 vessel histories (with 15,634 images and 13,293 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters). The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,616 entries (with 4,013 images).
In 2023 the Nauticapedia celebrated the 50th Anniversary of it’s original inception in 1973 (initially it was on 3" x 5" file cards). It has developed, expanded, digitized and enlarged in those ensuing years to what it is now online. If it was printed out it would fill more than 300,000 pages!
My special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into a semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.
Also my special thanks to my volunteer content accuracy checker, John Spivey of Irvine CA USA, who has proofread thousands of Nauticapedia vessel histories and provided input to improve more than 11,000 entries. His attention to detail has been a huge unexpected bonus in improving and updating the vessel detail content.