UPDATE: Fire at marina under West Seattle Bridge

(Photo by Scott Morgan)

9:35 PM: Big response on the way by land and sea to Jim Clark Marina under the West Seattle Bridge for a boat fire. Updates to come.

(Photo by Asher Morgan)

9:38 PM: Per emergency radio, this is described as two boathouses, “well-involved.” Crews on scene have reported “explosions,” and are going to pull back to fight this “defensively.”

(Photo by Aaron Freeman via Twitter)

9:46 PM: At least one fireboat is about to arrive; shore crews report having access challenges. The fire is reported to be spreading.

(Video by Bryan Vlok)
9:57 PM: Thanks to everyone who’s sending photos and video. SFD is calling for more engines.

10:08 PM: SPD says the West Seattle low bridge is closed because of the smoke. Meantime, firefighters have been searching the marina to look for anyone who might have been trapped aboard boats.

(Photo by Brandon Smith)

10:30 PM: So far, nobody found. The fire has just been declared “under control.”

10:49 PM: They’re still working on “hot spots.” As noted in comments, the marina has had two other big fires in the past decade – two boats burned in 2015, and two were lost in a 2010 fire.

11:01 PM: The low bridge has reopened, SDOT says.

11:13 PM: So far, no injuries reported.

ADDED 1:30 PM SATURDAY: We checked with SFD – no cause or damage estimate yet. We’ll publish a separate followup when that info is available. Meantime, thanks to Jim Edwards for getting this screengrab from the bridge traffic camera pointed down at the marina:

25 Replies to "UPDATE: Fire at marina under West Seattle Bridge"

  • Dmann March 27, 2020 (9:38 pm)

    A few police cars headed that way now.  Anybody with pictures?

  • Dan March 27, 2020 (9:45 pm)

    Can see from my house above luna park, massive explosions, flames as high as the bridge. 

  • 1994 March 27, 2020 (9:48 pm)

    Sorry to hear about another disaster, this time under the bridge. Hope nobody is hurt.

  • DieselD March 27, 2020 (10:18 pm)

    No liveaboards allowed at the marina so most likely no one sleeping on their boat. 

  • Alki resident March 27, 2020 (10:24 pm)

    Prayers for the safety of our first responders. 

    • WSB March 27, 2020 (10:27 pm)

      They had to do a roll call aka PAR (Personnel Accountability Report) early on after explosions were heard but so far it sounds like everyone’s OK.

  • Citizen Sane March 27, 2020 (10:27 pm)

    That’s the third fire they’ve had there in the last 10 years or so. Unusually bad luck.

    • WSB March 27, 2020 (10:28 pm)

      I’m looking up the past stories soon as this calms down a bit.

      • Mon March 27, 2020 (10:37 pm)

        How close is Kitty Harbor to that area?

        • WSB March 27, 2020 (10:43 pm)

          Not close at all.

  • Mj March 27, 2020 (10:30 pm)

    Wow!  

  • WSlite March 27, 2020 (10:32 pm)

    You can watch live video feed of boat fire on SDOT’s Mid-span traffic camera too. Hope everyone’s okay!https://web6.seattle.gov/travelers/

  • WSlite March 27, 2020 (10:37 pm)

  • Alki resident March 27, 2020 (10:41 pm)

    The high rise will now be deemed damaged from heat and flames. We’re doomed

  • WSlite March 27, 2020 (10:57 pm)

    Wow, firefighters are working hard to get fire completely out! Looks like quite a bit of damage…

  • Jim P. March 28, 2020 (12:30 am)

    Plague, food shortages starting to happen, dying bridge and now a major fire.

    OK, someone, somewhere in King County, return the ruby eye you stole from that idol in a remote jungle while we still have a civilization.

    • Yma March 28, 2020 (8:18 am)

      Jim Pthankyou, neighbor, for providing a hearty laugh

  • Huh? March 28, 2020 (6:49 am)

    Jim P- Food shortages??  Way to get rumors started and add to the panic hoarding, again. 

    • momsmom March 28, 2020 (2:55 pm)

      Really and OMG…SMH no rumor started just a joke please calm yourself down “HUH?”

    • Jpm P. March 28, 2020 (2:59 pm)

      “Way to get rumors started”
      With respect, have you been to a store lately? Find any flour, as one example? I sure can’t,

      Last delivery (3/27) from a local store I got about one third of what I ordered, everything else being marked “out of stock”. Same for that store ten days earlier. Even Amazon is hit or miss on a ton of staple items.

      Pretending everything is just hunky dory as Chief Thunderthud in DC seems to want everyone to do doesn’t make it so.

      • WSB March 28, 2020 (3:06 pm)

        There certainly have been certain shortages in certain stores. Last two times we went grocery shopping, frozen vegetables and boxed pasta were the cleaned-out items. That’s not an OVERALL food shortage … for example, as someone whose diet consists largely of fresh vegetables, I’ve noted those haven’t been in short supply anywhere we’ve been … but certainly spot shortages. Thanks again to those sharing specifics (we have a grocery-specific thread a few stories up, first Saturday story).

  • Citizen Sane March 28, 2020 (7:21 am)

    I used to keep a boat there, and it was damaged in the 2010 fire. This looks like the worst yet. The metal-sheathed boathouses actually do a pretty good job of slowing the spread of the fire until SFD can get there. Still, 3 big fires in 10 years is a lot. I don’t honestly know why they’ve had such bad luck. The marina is well-run, kept in good condition, and the boats are in good shape.I hope they’ll still be able to get insurance!

  • David March 28, 2020 (8:28 am)

    Three fires, each one 5 years apart, 2010, 2015, 2020, each consisting of 2 boathouses….coincidence?

    • Ice March 28, 2020 (12:59 pm)

      It’s clearly the work of the evil jungle idol, as another poster above pointed out.

    • Hammer in Hand March 28, 2020 (6:41 pm)

      Suggesting what?

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