Two individuals died and three were injured last Saturday when a fire erupted on a 35-foot powerboat that was parked in a fueling dock in Alamitos Bay in block 200 of Marina Drive, said Long Beach Fire Department (Los Angeles Times). The two that died were women in their 60s, and the three injured included two men and one woman, also in their 60s. All three were hospitalized with burn-related injuries.
A call about the fire was responded to by the firefighters at 5:17 p.m. according to the Long Beach Fire Captain, Jake Heflin. When rescue workers arrived, bystanders were already trying to put out the fire. They said that the ship was in the process of fueling when it caught on fire. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The firefighters were able to keep the fire under control with water cannons, but county firefighting support was called to keep the fire from spreading through wind-blown embers on the fueling dock. The massive cloud of black smoke resulting from the fire was visible for miles. Containment booms were employed to minimize potential oil leaks, but the boat took on water and sank as it was moved to an isolated dock. According to Heflin, Long Beach officials plan on employing a private salvage company to remove the boat.
The fire caused an explosion that was heard around the area. According to Daniel Quinn, a host at the nearby Crab Pot restaurant, it sounded “like someone landed on the roof” (Los Angeles Times). When Quinn looked outside after hearing the explosion, he saw the large plume of black smoke caused by the flaming boat. No one was hurt by the fire excluding the five previously mentioned, though Heflin did mention that mental health help to help with trauma is available to firefighters.
Link to article: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-05/boat-fire-kills-two-and-injures-three-in-long-beach
A call about the fire was responded to by the firefighters at 5:17 p.m. according to the Long Beach Fire Captain, Jake Heflin. When rescue workers arrived, bystanders were already trying to put out the fire. They said that the ship was in the process of fueling when it caught on fire. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The firefighters were able to keep the fire under control with water cannons, but county firefighting support was called to keep the fire from spreading through wind-blown embers on the fueling dock. The massive cloud of black smoke resulting from the fire was visible for miles. Containment booms were employed to minimize potential oil leaks, but the boat took on water and sank as it was moved to an isolated dock. According to Heflin, Long Beach officials plan on employing a private salvage company to remove the boat.
The fire caused an explosion that was heard around the area. According to Daniel Quinn, a host at the nearby Crab Pot restaurant, it sounded “like someone landed on the roof” (Los Angeles Times). When Quinn looked outside after hearing the explosion, he saw the large plume of black smoke caused by the flaming boat. No one was hurt by the fire excluding the five previously mentioned, though Heflin did mention that mental health help to help with trauma is available to firefighters.
Link to article: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-05/boat-fire-kills-two-and-injures-three-in-long-beach
