(Scroll down for newest information – 1:11 pm: SFD has determined fire was accidental)
(Photo substituted at 5:46 am for cameraphone photo we had earlier – this was taken before fire was out)
FIRST REPORT, 4:35 AM: There’s a big response right now to a boat-fire call in the 1300 block of SW Spokane, and we have a few reports of a loud explosion-like noise heard from northeast West Seattle right about the time it was reported – we’re checking it all out right now. It’s at the Jim Clark Marina.
4:50 PM: We’re en route to the scene – scanner traffic indicates that this is affecting traffic in the area, even train traffic, which has been shut down by Burlington Northern. Scanner says “two houseboats are totaled” so far in the fire, and also indicates the fireboat Leschi is involved in fighting the fire. WSB’s Patrick Sand has just arrived in the area and even before reaching the marina just called to say “fire is still visible.” (added – the video he shot on arrival)
5:03 AM: Patrick came over the low bridge and IT IS OPEN – for those who were worried. The flames are now subsiding but still a lot of smoke. Now the scanner (which we’re monitoring at HQ) says three houseboats were/are involved. At the scene, Patrick says it appears some sheds at the marina were involved too – sunrise is still an hour away so the damage will be more fully visible then.
5:13 AM: The “houseboats” reported on the scanner are more like covered slips, Patrick is being told at the scene, where SFD public-information officer Helen Fitzpatrick has arrived to work with the media. She tells us **no injuries**. Some of the fire units are being cleared from the scene; the fire is mostly out.
5:20 AM: Adding a cameraphone photo atop the story (that’s a fireboat lit up at the back of the shot); we’ll have video back at HQ in a bit. We asked SFD’s Fitzpatrick about the reports of a “boom” just before this was reported; she says the Fire Department’s heard a lot about that too but it’s way too soon to tell what that was – investigators will have to do their work figuring out what caused this. The official summary so far is two “boat houses” burned (NOT “houseboats” as per earlier scanner traffic) and one boat (photo above shows smoldering debris). The fire was fought from both land and water (the fireboat Leschi was called out) – and if you’re passing by, as a Twitter question reminds us, you may notice firefighting foam on the Duwamish.
6:50 AM: We’re going back shortly for a daylight look at the scene – scanner indicates police have just reopened the surface street(s) that were blocked off in the marina’s immediate vicinity (again, NOT affecting low-bridge traffic).
7:14 AM: SFD’s Fitzpatrick has just updated the damage totals from the fire: One boat burned, one boat was damaged by fire, a third boat sank; one boathouse was gutted (see our photo) and the two adjacent ones were damaged. The firefighting foam on the water, she notes, is biodegradable. No word yet on how the fire started.
7:55 AM: We’re back at the marina now that the sun’s fully up. The iPhone photo above is the burned boat from the shore east of the marina – we’ll have a closer photo a bit later but that’ll do for now. Port of Seattle Police are here as well as a few remaining fire and citywide-media crews. (Next two photos added 9:22 am – burned boat, plus damaged boathouse next to debris from destroyed one)
11:37 AM: Still no word on the cause. SFD has posted its complete summary of other details here.
1:11 PM: Fire investigators say this was an accident: “fuel vapor in the bilge of a 36-foot boat was ignited by a spark from electrical equipment, & caused explosion.” Damage total is estimated at $200,000.
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