I saw a TV documentary a few years back which claimed that coal fires were common on large ships of the time since it was almost impossible to keep the fuel dry. As moisture evaporated, the coals would ignite starting smouldering fires. According to their story, Titanic left with a KNOWN fire on board. This created heated steel which fractured when the icy water hit it. They theorized that disaster could have been avoided without the additional factor of the fire.

Came across to me as the overenthusiastic musings of a college thesis.