Community Police & Fire
Gig Harbor Fire douses boat fire at marina
Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One knocked down a fire on a boat at Peninsula Yacht Basin, 8913 N. Harborview Drive, early Friday, July 15.
The fire was contained to a single boat — an 80-foot yacht — with a second boat sustaining damage, according to GHFMO social media posts. Nobody was injured.
Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One responded to a boat fire at a marina on North Harborview Drive early on Friday, July 15.
A jogger noticed the fire at the end of a dock in the vicinity of Anthony’s restaurant and called 911 at 3:07 a.m. A responding battalion chief could see the flames from Pioneer Way and asked West Pierce Fire’s fire boat Endeavor to respond.
The 80-foot boat “did come untied from the dock for a short period, and the Endeavor was really helpful in being able to push the boat back where we could secure it,” said GHFMO public information officer Tina Curran.
Fire is knocked down in Gig Harbor marina. Firefighters did a great job keeping fire contained to one boat. Second boat has minor damage. pic.twitter.com/ZdbpPZtROE
— GigHarborFire (@GigHarborFire) July 15, 2022
The cause of the fire is unknown at this point. The Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating now.
The boat owner told firefighters that nobody should have been on-board the boat.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Ecology are on scene, checking for any diesel or other contaminants that may have leaked into the water.
Gig Harbor Police, the Coast Guard, Department of Ecology and the Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office are all on scene to investigate.
“Sadly, it’s a really good-sized boat, but the good news it didn’t catch any more on fire and that’s exactly why we practice,” Curran said. “That’s why the marina drill we had only a number of weeks ago is so important, so our crews are practiced and proficient.”
GHFMO conducted an extensive training session for exactly this sort of scenario on June 22. That drill brought several fire engines downtown and also involved the fire boat Endeavor.
Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One responded to a boat fire at a marina on North Harborview Drive early on Friday, July 15.
House fire on Vernhardson Place
Gig Harbor Fire also responded to a house fire later Friday on the 9700 block of Vernhardson Place, coincidentally not far from the boat fire.
The alarm was reported at about 1:45 p.m. and the fire was out by 2:30 p.m. No injuries were reported in the fire at the two-story home.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, according to Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One Assistant Chief Dan Bjurstrom.
Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One firefighters battle a blaze at a house on Vernhardson Place on Friday afternoon.