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Statements of the crew merely permit the conclusion that the fire broke out inside the engine compartment. Possible causes include battery problems (excessive release of explosive oxyhydrogen gas into the atmosphere of the warm and poorly ventilated engine compartment), contact of lubricant or fuel with hot surfaces, defective insulation of heat-conducting engine components or even a short circuit in the Electrical cabling.

 In particular, the fact that cabling, conventionally encased in plastic, ran inside the bilge of the fishing vessel with no special additional protection was a risk factor. The insulation of the cables in the bilge was naturally exposed to the chemical influences of the oil and water mixture found there. In this respect, it cannot be ruled out that there has been an undetected degradation of the insulation layers over the years, subsequently leading to a short circuit that caused the fire.