The crew were able to suppress the fire and contain the flooding. "Kaiser Wilhelm II", which had also had a slight grounding (without damage), came alongside to take off the crew if it became necessary to abandon the ship and, once the fires were controlled, attempted to take "Kaiser Friedrich III" under tow, but the cables snapped. By this time, the crew got steam up in the remaining boilers, and the ship proceeded at a speed of . to Kiel, which she reached on 3 April. There, the ship was thoroughly examined. The dockyard workers found that eight of the ship's boilers had been badly damaged, and many bulkheads had been bent from the pressure of the water. The keel was extensively damaged, with large holes torn in several places. All three of the ship's propellers were damaged as well. Temporary repairs were effected in Kiel, which included sealing the holes with cement and wood. On 23 April, this work was completed and she left for Wilhelmshaven, where she was decommissioned for permanent repairs on 4 May.