SANDY POINT, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to the 4000 block of Mayne Lane on the Sandy Point spit about 2:20am on Friday, May 10th, due to a report of a vessel fire.
According to initial dispatches, a neighbor reported seeing flames on a 50-foot vessel docked in the area.
Whatcom County Fire District 17 Fire Chief Jim Petrie told Whatcom News they arrived on scene to find the vessel fully involved and tied to a dock. There was no one aboard when the fire started.
Firefighters worked with environmentally friendly foam spray to knock down the fire and gain access to the vessel. The fire appeared to be seated in the engine compartment, according to Petrie, and firefighters were cutting through the boat’s fiberglass construction in order to get foam over the fire.
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The fire eventually burned through the hull and the vessel sank into about 20 feet of water. As the vessel was sinking, firefighters took up defensive positions on shore to protect the dock.
Department of Ecology was notified due to an apparent diesel sheen on the surface of the water after the vessel sank.
Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
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