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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: December 21, 2024

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,824 vessel histories (with 16,274 images and 13,929 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters).

Vessel records are currently being reviewed and updated with more than 45,000 processed so far this year (2024).

The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3996 images).

Thanks to Ray Warren who is beginning a long process of filling gaps in the photo record of vessel histories in the database. Ray has been documenting the ships of Vancouver Harbour for more than 60 years.

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he has contributed to illustrate British Columbia’s floating heritage.

My very special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.

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