PETE'S COMMENT
On February 27, 2014 a fire occurred in the forward battery compartment of Austrialia's Collins submarine HMAS Waller. Fires in submarine battery compartments can be caused by the release of hydrogen gas from the batteries. [http://www.pmbatteries.com.au/batteries/history-of-diesel-electric-submarines
indicates "Hydrogen gas is produced as a result of some battery charging modes which, at certain levels, can be extremely hazardous. The Battery therefore needs to be designed so that it can be operated at minimal gassing rates."]
The fire immediately triggered the Waller's emergency system, filling the foreward battery compartment with inert Freon gas to smother the flame. Release of Freon gas can be deadly if all of a submarine's crew, technicians and observers do no have access to oxygen breathing masts - or do not know when or how to use such masks in an emergency. In 2008 aboard the then Russian submarineNerpa (now Indian INS Chakra) 20 people where killed by an accidental release of Freon - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Russian_submarine_K-152_Nerpa_accident#Sequence_of_events and also http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/nerpa-accident-sets-back-indian.html. In Nerpa's case many of the 20 were observer-technicians without knowledge of or access to oxygen breathing masks.
In HMAS Waller's February 27, 2014 case presumably the crew had knowledge of and access to masks. They survived the fire and the Freon release. see http://news.defence.gov.au/2014/02/27/fire-onboard-royal-australian-navy-submarine/
ARTICLE
On the Waller emergency Australia's news.com.au reported on February 28, 2014:
"Fire emergency aboard HMAS Waller as Indian submarine blaze kills two
A FIRE sparked an emergency aboard submarine HMAS Waller off the West Australian coast yesterday, the same day as a fire in an Indian vessel killed two and injured seven.
The fire broke out yesterday afternoon as the Australian vessel sailed on the surface.
``Emergency response actions were taken to extinguish the fire. There were no causalities,’’ Defence said in a statement.
However, as a precaution four members of the ship’s crew involved in responding to the fire were landed for observation.
Cramped conditions ... A crew member on board HMAS Waller during a press visit last year. Source: News Limited
The extent of damage has not been revealed.
HMAS Waller had recently completed scheduled maintenance and was at sea as part of her return to operations.
Explosive potential ... HMAS Waller’s torpedo room. Source: News Limited
[Women form part of the crew of Australia's six Collins Class attack submarines]
Meanwhile, two officers of the Indian navy are missing — presumed dead — after a fire on-board Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhuratna yesterday.
The accident happened early in the morning about 50km offshore from Mumbai. The vessel had just completed a refit.
The fire reportedly started in the forward battery compartment and triggered an emergency system that filled the space with inert Freon gas to smother the flames.
Five crewmen where evacuated by helicopter after inhaling the poisonous gas.
[Separately]
Last year a vessel of the same [modified Russian Kilo] class, INS Sindhurakshak [see my article http://gentleseas.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/tragic-loss-of-18-crew-on-ins.html of August 16, 2013], exploded and sank while in harbour — killing the 18 crew who were on-board at the time.
[INS Sindhuratna's February 27, 2014] incident resulted in the immediate resignation of chief of the Indian navy, Admiral D.K. Joshi."
Pete