A nighttime fire sank eight boats and severely damaged one more at a Seattle marina recently. The fire raged for more than two hours before 75 firefighters were able to put it out.
The fire was at the Jim Clark Marina on Harbor Island under the West Seattle Bridge. The first alarm came from the marina manager, who called 911 about 9:30 last Friday night. It spread quickly, from boat to boat, and caused some explosions. The lower portion of the bridge was closed temporarily because of smoke.
The firefighters faced some unusual problems; the one floating dock that provided access to the burning boats was not strong enough to support many people at a time. On land, the fire hoses had to cross railroad tracks, and the fire department had to call the train company to stop all traffic there.
A Seattle fire boat was able to get close to the burning boats and pumped 20,000 gallons of water a minute into the blaze.
Despite the intensity of the fire, there were no injuries. The Jim Clark Marina, a private marina owned by an association of recreational boat owners, does not allow liveaboards. One of its floating administrative buildings burned, along with the boats. The marina, opened in 1973, is on the Lower Duwamish River, leading into Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Read more:
