Unified command continues response to a vessel fire in Tacoma

Crews continue their response to the fire aboard the fishing vessel Kodiak Enterprise moored in the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, Wednesday.

Firefighting crews from Tacoma Fire Department and Resolve Marine continue to access interior spaces to put out hot spots and look for standing water.

In the coming days, responders will ensure the ship is safe for investigators to get on board and for crews to proceed with salvage work, including removal of the reported 55,000 gallons of diesel onboard. The Coast Guard and NTSB will conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire.

A claims process has been established for those that may be financially affected by this response. Please direct your request to 206-378-6090.

Smoke coming from the vessel has diminished but air monitoring continues as a precaution. Particulate levels at the incident site and in nearby neighborhoods have not shown levels of concern.

Dewatering operations are continuing in order to improve stability. Firefighters continue applying water to the outside of the vessel to cool the hull.

No new sheens were observed today, but the vessel is surrounded by three layers of containment boom. Responders and equipment are also staged and ready to respond if pollution is observed in the waterway.

Vessels can request to transit the safety zone established on the Hylebos Waterway. Recreational vessels should contact the Coast Guard via marine radio on VHF-21A or contact 206-217-6002. Commercial traffic should contact Seattle Traffic on VHF-14. The vessel’s transiting shall maintain a slow speed and no wake. The Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners can be found here: Broadcast Notice to Mariners Search | Navigation Center (uscg.gov)

The Unified Command for the incident is composed of the Tacoma Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, Trident Seafoods, and Puyallup Tribe of Indians, with support from several other agencies.