Causes of warehouse fires are many and varied. A startling statistic is that up to half of all warehouse fires are started deliberately. Of course, it is not just the warehouses themselves that are destroyed; it is also necessary to consider potential injuries or death and the contents (both stored cargo and handling equipment).
In recent years at least six big container ships have been seriously damaged by major fires or explosions. Apart from the loss of life and injury to seafarers, each accident caused millions of dollars of damages. Experts attribute most of these incidents to hazardous materials that were loaded into containers but not declared to the carriers.
