Well, besides that the fire might have weakened hull plating or valves letting the sea in, firefighting might result in excessive amounts of water in the hull. Being a navy man,my experience is that merchant navy and especially fishermen have little understanding how water used to fight fire might affect the stability and survivability of your vessel.

It is always impressive to watch a vessel sinking. In this case, I am still woundering how such a vessel may loose so rapidly her integrity sinking by the stern, with water coming theorically from the port side... Unless you loose a hull plate, like what happened to the ferry William Carson, years ago, only an internal explosion could produce such major hull damages. The weather is not that bad and even a loss of stability should not be that castratophic, unless all accesses are open and the vessel is affected by free surfaces...I am not suggesting anything except that as mariner, I always wounder how you can loose a ship that fast, unless you are involved in a collision or a major explosion. An interresting case for the Spanish Maritime Investigation Board.
The well mediacovered lost of another vessel, the Sea Diamond (Greece,last year) is for me another big question mark.
Anyway, the lost of the MONTE GALINEIRO at least had a happy ending.
Bravo to the crew of the Cowley. Good job!

The 22 crew members of the Spanish fishing trawler „Monte Galineiro 3A VI 5504” (IMO-No.: 9329239, CS ECGR), 545 gt, were rescued when their vessel sank 400 km east of St. John's on Feb 22, 2009, at 103.0 a.m. The crew jumped into life-rafts or into the ocean after the vessel caught fire and started to heel to port. Some didn't even have life jackets on, and some jumped into the freezing water wearing regular clothes. The coast guard vessel “Leonard J. Cowley” happened to be only 10 minutes away on a routine fisheries patrol when it received the trawler's distress signal and was on scene almost immediately. The “Crowley” had been slowly approaching the Spanish trawler with plans to send fisheries inspectors on board when he received the mayday. Also a Hecules aircraft and a Cormorant Helicopter from the 9 Wing Gander assisted in the search, as well as a Provincial Airlines flight. One crew member was treated for hypothermia on board of the “Leonard J. Cowley”. Another suffering from smoke inhalation was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in St. John's, Newfoundland. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. By mid-afternoon, the coast guard vessel was taking a break from her patrols and returning to St. John's. The ship was expected back in the city with the crew by Feb 23 morning.

The “Monte Galineiro” which has a length of 34,63 m and a breadth of 10 m was built at Montajes Cies, Vigo/Spain in 2005.