Crews cleaning fuel spill after 3 boats burn in marina fire near Seward Park

SEATTLE — A marina fire briefly reignited in south Seattle on Monday morning, nearly 12 hours after the first set of flames destroyed three boats and a boathouse.

The fire first broke out at Parkshore Marina, located in the 9000 block of Seward Park Avenue South, just south of Seward Park, just before 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

At least two people were forced to shelter in place on the dock while about 100 firefighters worked to get the flames under control.

The fire was extinguished by about 11 p.m.

KIRO 7′s Ranji Sinha spoke with boat owners on Monday, including one man who says he could smell the fire from his home a mile away.

“We could smell the fire last night, I had no clue what was going on,” said Frank McPeek. “The bad part is when they catch fire, they can float around and catch other boats on fire, and that’s what the real concern was.”

Randy Richardson, another boat owner, said he thought about rushing to the marina late Friday night but decided against it.

Both men said their boats escaped with no damage, but it was clear that the damage from the fire was severe.

Fire crews remained on fire watch, checking for hot spots, until 8 a.m. Monday.

But at about 8:45 a.m., a spark occurred, causing the fire to reignite on one of the boats.

Firefighters were quickly able to get the flames under control, according to SFD.

About an estimated 200 gallons of fuel spilled as a result of the fire, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.

“Thankfully the fire department was able to put some containment boom around the vessels initially for the response, which we’re very thankful for because we know their main purpose is safety and putting out the fire,” said Rob Reed, with the state Department of Ecology.

A sheen was visible Monday morning as booms were trying to contain the spread of fuel.

Two boats sunk and a third is stable but will need to be removed, according to Reed.

All three boats are considered a total loss.

The Department of Ecology says contractors will continue to work to clean up the mess left after the fire throughout the day Monday.

The cause of the fire is “undetermined” and the total estimated loss is $200,000, according to SFD.

No injuries were reported in the fire.

VIDEO: Several boats catch fire near Seward Park

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