mwph
Well-Known Member
- Jul 8, 2008
- 3,229
- Boat Info
- 1998 250 DA
- Engines
- 7.4L, B3
http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php...for-after-fire-destroys-35-boats-in-al.96393/
The thread above discusses a fire at a small marina back in late January. This marina is about 10-12 miles from the marina that I have kept my boat at for the last 6 years.
These are reported facts from the local fish wrapper (Newspaper)...
1. The fire started at the electrical panel on a 1974 35' houseboat.
2. The houseboat hadn't been moved in 10 years. The county had taken possession of the boat for unpaid slip fees & then sold it to the current owner.
3. 8 people died including a woman and her 5 children.
4. The sole liveaboard on the 35' houseboat was uninjured. He claims to have awoke to a popping sound & smoke in his cabin.
5. The fire destroyed 35 boats. (I never saw near that many boats there).
6. The water, that several people jumped into was 41 degrees.
Craziest part of the story... A total of 9 people untied 2 boats from the dock, boarded the boats and pushed them away from the dock trying to escape the burning boats/structure. They could not paddle the boats far enough away and were "sucked back towards the fire". A burning boat drifted toward them & caught the boats on fire. 6 of these people died. None of those had life vests/jackets with surviviors telling police they "Just didn't think to take them".
Learning point of the story... The NTSB report concludes that "The county (The marina is owned by the county) and marina's limited fire safety practices contributed to the severity of the blaze and loss of life". Thanks Captain Obvious. Now what are you going to do about it?
As I mentioned in the original thread, the unbelievably unsafe use of unapproved bilge heaters, grills and other daisy chained extension cords in this area is, well, unbelievable. The government (NTSB) can claim the exact source if they want. Based on the boat owners statements they may be right. But anyone with half a boating brain could take a two minute walk down that dock & list a half dozen potential sources. Believe me, I am not one for government interference & regulation, but at some point if we can't regulate ourselves and business owners refuse to enforce common sense practices, well this is what happens.
Shortly after the fire my marina made a made a mandatory requirement that all slip renters provide proof of liability insurance with a minimum coverage amount of $300k. They also installed all new fire extinguishers, hand operated bells & throwable life rings about every 30' on all docks.
The thread above discusses a fire at a small marina back in late January. This marina is about 10-12 miles from the marina that I have kept my boat at for the last 6 years.
These are reported facts from the local fish wrapper (Newspaper)...
1. The fire started at the electrical panel on a 1974 35' houseboat.
2. The houseboat hadn't been moved in 10 years. The county had taken possession of the boat for unpaid slip fees & then sold it to the current owner.
3. 8 people died including a woman and her 5 children.
4. The sole liveaboard on the 35' houseboat was uninjured. He claims to have awoke to a popping sound & smoke in his cabin.
5. The fire destroyed 35 boats. (I never saw near that many boats there).
6. The water, that several people jumped into was 41 degrees.
Craziest part of the story... A total of 9 people untied 2 boats from the dock, boarded the boats and pushed them away from the dock trying to escape the burning boats/structure. They could not paddle the boats far enough away and were "sucked back towards the fire". A burning boat drifted toward them & caught the boats on fire. 6 of these people died. None of those had life vests/jackets with surviviors telling police they "Just didn't think to take them".
Learning point of the story... The NTSB report concludes that "The county (The marina is owned by the county) and marina's limited fire safety practices contributed to the severity of the blaze and loss of life". Thanks Captain Obvious. Now what are you going to do about it?
As I mentioned in the original thread, the unbelievably unsafe use of unapproved bilge heaters, grills and other daisy chained extension cords in this area is, well, unbelievable. The government (NTSB) can claim the exact source if they want. Based on the boat owners statements they may be right. But anyone with half a boating brain could take a two minute walk down that dock & list a half dozen potential sources. Believe me, I am not one for government interference & regulation, but at some point if we can't regulate ourselves and business owners refuse to enforce common sense practices, well this is what happens.
Shortly after the fire my marina made a made a mandatory requirement that all slip renters provide proof of liability insurance with a minimum coverage amount of $300k. They also installed all new fire extinguishers, hand operated bells & throwable life rings about every 30' on all docks.
