1. THE METHOD OF REDUCING THE FIRE HAZARD IN BOATS RESULTING FROM THE ACCUMULATION OF GASOLINE AND OTHER INFLAMMABLE LIGHT HYDROCARBONS IN THE BILGE WATER OF SAID BOATS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF; ADDING TO THE BILGE WATER IN A BOAT A CONCENTRATED EMULSION CONSISTING OF FROM 20 TO 30% SATURATED AND UNSATURATED FREE FATTY ACIDS HAVING FROM EIGHT TO TWENTY-TWO CARBON ATOMS, 1.5 TO 3.0% ALKALI METAL CAUSTIC, 0.5 TO 1.0% OF A NON-FLAMMABLE ACHOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF N-BUTYL, ISOBUTYL, N-PROPYL, ISOPROPYL, SEC-BUTYL, TERTIARY BUTYL AND AMYL ALCOHOLS AND PROPYLENE GLYCOL, 50 TO 60% OF A HIGH BOILING HYDROCARBON HAVING A FLASH POINT ABOVE 105* F. SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STODDARD SOLVENT AND KEROSENE, AND 5 TO 30% WATER; MIXING SAID EMULSION WITH SAID BILGE WATER TO DISPERSE THE OIL PHASE OF SAID EMULSION HOMOGENEOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE BILGE WATER; AND DISSOLVING SAID GASOLINE AND OTHER INFLAMMABLE LIGHT HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF THE MIXTURE THEREOF WITH SAID BILGE WATER.