Tacoma marina fire damages 6 boats, Coast Guard assessing environmental impact
A Sunday morning fire at Tyee Marina damaged six boats and sank three of them, the Tacoma Fire Department reported.
Tacoma Fire was dispatched to the marina at 5618 Marine View Drive just after 7:30 a.m. and had the fire under control by 9 a.m., spokesman Steve Collins said. The cause of the fire is unknown.
“The investigation is probably a little more complex because some boats are submerged,” Collins said.
No injuries were reported, though Collins said two people may have taken themselves to a hospital with unknown injuries.
The Coast Guard and the Washington Department of Ecology were on site to analyze the environmental effects of the spill.
The distance from water sources is a big challenge for firefighters, Collins said.
At Tyee Marina, just one hydrant has enough water pressure to run a fire hose, Collins said. For larger fires, firefighters would have to go about 3,000 feet to reach a city water main, something that would require a second alarm.
Because firefighters were able to quickly knock down the blaze with the help of the marina’s fire suppression systems, Collins said, they did not need to use the city water main or call for more equipment.
Marina fires are infrequent, but happen enough that firefighters prepare for them, Collins said. Some Tacoma firefighters trained at Tyee Marina last month, he added.
Last year, a fire at Narrows Marina during the U.S. Open in June sent smoke into the air that was seen in television broadcasts of the golf tournament. That blaze destroyed about 30 boats.
#USCG @EcologyWA on scene at Tyee Marina - 6 vessels involved in fire, 2 sank, 2 partially sank and 2 damaged in fire. Containment boom out.
— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) October 2, 2016
Summary from Tyee Marina fire. 6 boats damaged. 3 sunk, 2 with fire damage and one hit by falling mast. Cause under investigation. pic.twitter.com/nD5FP0uJqM
— Tacoma Fire (@TacomaFire) October 2, 2016
This story was originally published October 2, 2016 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Tacoma marina fire damages 6 boats, Coast Guard assessing environmental impact."