CFAV Firebrand (YTR 562)

CFAV Firebrand (YTR 562) is a Fire-class fireboat in the Royal Canadian Navy designed by Robert Allan Ltd.. Firebrand is based in CFB Esquimalt, on Vancouver Island. Her sister ship CFAV Firebird (YTR 561) is based in CFB Halifax.

Her three water cannons can fire water, supplemented by fire suppressant foam from her two 250 gallon tanks. Her water cannons are capable of pumping a 19,000 litres per minute at 150 psi. Although not operated as such, she can also serve as a tugboat, and has a bollard pull of 7.5 tons.

Design and construction

According to the Canadian American Strategic Review the class was designed by naval architects Robert Allan Limited, and were built at Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver in 1978, and later acquired by the Canadian Forces.

The two ships displaced 140 tonnes (138 long tons) and were 23.1 metres (75 ft 9 in) long, with a beam of 6.4 metres (21 ft) and a draught of 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 in). The ships were powered by two 365 horsepower (272 kW) azimuthing Z-drives and one hydraulic tunnel bow thruster. This gave the vessels a maximum speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). The ships had a crew of five firefighters.