Major fires on container vessels count among the worst hazards of the global shipping industry. Crew members face considerable risks when fighting fires with the equipment currently required under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Seafarers – who are seafarers rather than trained firefighters – are often unable to extinguish or contain the fire, and sadly sometimes even pay with their lives when trying to do so, writes Uwe-Peter Schieder, Loss Prevention Manager at GDV (German Insurance Association) and IUMI Loss Prevention Committee Vice Chair, in the May 2020 newsletter of the IRL – Insurance Research Letter.