Talking about boat fires in general, and not this tragedy in particular:
Smoke is the major threat in interior compartments, particularly on vessels with Class-A materials in abundance. Smoke builds up quite quickly. It builds up near the overhead first and then rapidly descends to deck level. If an escape hatch is in the overhead, it is located precisely where the smoke and heat will build up first, hiding the hatch and choking anyone trying to find it. The heat can build up quickly, driving away anyone determined enough to search for the hatch in the smoke.
The best way to deal with the situation is to hit the deck and crawl for an exit stairwell. But people need to be well trained for this, and in the dark it is difficult to detect which direction the exit lies. That is why on airliners there are lights in the cabin deck leading you to the exits. Also, the sheer number of people trying to quickly find an exit in a cramped passageway has caused shipboard fire tragedies in the past.
Again, I’m not saying any of this played a part in the tragedy. It’s just something we professionals need to remind ourselves.of when reviewing our fire plans.