A 32-foot boat caught fire this morning at the Port of Everett Fuel Dock, prompting a swift response from local fire and police departments. The blaze was reported at 9:36 a.m. at the dock located at the Central Marina in the 400 block of 14th Street, as disclosed in a city statement. Everett Police were conveniently on the scene aboard Marine 1, a police and fire shared resource, and began to immediately control the flames with the boat's water monitor, or deck gun.
The incident, which could have potentially been catastrophic given the 300 gallons of fuel on board the burning vessel, was contained, preventing damage to nearby boats. The vessel had initially begun to drift after its mooring lines burned through, but was quickly secured by an officer on Marine 1, thus limiting its movement and potential for further hazard. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to fully put out the fire, according to the same city statement.
Four occupants and a dog were aboard the boat at the time of the fire, but were able to evacuate safely. Two were evaluated for smoke inhalation at the scene; however, there were no reported injuries. Out of caution, the Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest were called in to assess for any possible environmental impacts, even though there were no initial signs of leaks or spills.
Due to the fire, the Port of Everett announced that the fuel dock will remain closed until they determine whether it's safe to reopen. The statement did not give a timeline for the assessment and repair works. The boat was later towed away and removed from the water by 11:50 a.m. Fifteen fire apparatus and the Marysville Fire District assisted in the firefighting efforts. The cause is still under investigation by the Everett Fire Marshal's Office.
