Fire at McCotters Marina - Washington, NC

[witzgall]

There was a fire at McCotter's Marina in Washington last night, destroyed a dock and all of the boats on it.

People injured, boats destroyed in NC marina fire :: WRAL.com

Anyone know any more details. We kept our boat there at one time.

Chris

[PamlicoTraveler]

Somebody just called me about this. Here is the witn report.

Apparently a lot of nice antique boats were lost. Probably caused by an unattended electric heater. This was a covered boathouse, so no sailboats I assume, unless it spread to the uncovered docks. The report said 25 boats lost or damaged.

[witzgall]

I am not sure which dock it was, but each of their covered docks also had sections uncovered, with sailboats.

[S/VSkylark]

Just spoke to a boat owner at the marina and apparently the fire stayed on the one dock, but everything on that dock was a total loss. If you are familiar with the marina, it was the first covered dock right after the "gas dock" closest to the bathroom/showers.

[John A]

I just caught this disturbing news on CNN and did a Google search.

Does anyone have any more information?

GoErie.com: News - Fire at NC coastal marina injures 3, damages boats

[witzgall]

Here is some aerial video. Out boat was kept at the end of the long covered dock that was not burned. It looks like this one started under the shed. There were some very nice old wooded boats there - there are not too many covered slips left in NC. Sad.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video...7/#/vid8898217

Chris

[DeepFrz]

FireNews.net

3 hurt, boats destroyed in marina blaze | abc11.com

[Khagan1227]

I hope everyone is ok and they all had insurance. Six or seven families are pretty much homeless from the report.

[DeepFrz]

Actually several of them did not have insurance. A report by a Nordhavn owner who's boat was 3 or 4 boats away from where the fire was stopped noted that at least 2 boats were uninsured and the people lost everything.

Also an eye witness said he saw flames shooting from the shore power connection on the boat where the fire started. Do check those shore power connections folks.

[Khagan1227]

I would hope that the Marina would be liable for the damage to the boats, unless the fire started on a boat there, then I think that boat owner would be responsible. If he doesn't have insurance, then back to the Marina.

There are going to be some very happy lawyers after this.

[John A]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Also an eye witness said he saw flames shooting from the shore power connection on the boat where the fire started. Do check those shore power connections folks.

After all of your winter heaters have been running for an hour or so, place your hand on the shore power were it attaches to the boat. If its warm to the touch, you may have problems with to high of an amp. requirement for the shorepower..

[DeepFrz]

I had missed this thread. Thanks to the mods. who put my thread in its right place.

[TaoJones]

Wow . . . you posted before I could send you a PM, Freeze . . . thanks for understanding.

TaoJones

[sailvayu]

I took this picture of that dock this summer. I am not surprised it was an electrical fire. Sad there were some nice boats in there. Glad not serious injuries

[ronbo1]

I believe this is the fire referred to...a first hand account from T&T:
Ronbo

T&T: MARINA FIRE! LESSON LEARNED - EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!!! YOU CANNOT IMAGINE HOW FAST IT SPREADS.

George, the boat, and I are safe. The Red Cross has several of us in the
Days Inn as the entire marina has been declared a HAZMAT AREA. We will not
be permitted back on our boats for two days - for now. May lose my
refrigerator load of food, but some people lost their homes and all their
records - escaping with their lives. Over 30 boats were consumed by an
unbelievable conflagration. The shed area was fully involved in under 10
minutes - but escape was not possible after 5 minutes. I've been up all
night and just got in my motel room. Fire was stopped 4 boats from my boat.
Everything past that point is gone. Two people with minor burns and one in
the hospital for hypothermia.

The Bunyan Volunteer Fire Department was magnificent having recently
developed techniques to move large volumes of water over long distances to
fight marina fires. They ran a 5 inch hose along with two conventional 3
inch hoses 4 boats past me and made their stand there. Chocowinity VFD
coupled two pumpers to produce enough pressure to fire across the fairway
from an adjacent pier and attack a boat on fire towards the end of our pier.
The boats in the shed were fully involved and beyond hope instantly. The
fire started in the shorepower inlet on a Mainship power boat next to a
friend's houseboat. He escaped in bare feet and long johns having foolishly
tried to fight the fire with a disconnected garden hose. His finger pier
went up in flames preventing his return to his home for a single possession.

A neighbor alerted me and came back to ensure that George and I were getting
off the boat. As we disembarked, the houseboat owner was standing on the
ice-coated pier in bare feet. He had come back from the shore to confirm
that George and I got off! The man is around 80 and has lost everything. I
had contemplated losing everything as I watched the fire advance from the
destroyed shed towards us - what can you do but cheer on the fire fighters.
The Bath VFD responded in under 20 minutes. It takes me 20 minutes to drive
there in my car! They told me that they encountered no traffic. Mike, the
neighbor who alerted us was thinking about getting his boat out. I
encouraged him to do it. He did and proceeded to rescue 3 people on the
outside end of our pier - just outside the shed. They burned their hands
slipping their lines and Mike hip-towed their sailboat away from the burning
dock and saved the woman who had jumped in the water in understandable
panic. I worked with two Sheriff's deputies to remove two liveaboards from
an adjacent dock. One was confused and resisted, but not for long! I
informed the firefighters which boats had gas engines and they directed a
heavy mist nozzle to keep those boats cool. As a result,. there were no
explosions.

The Red Cross was there in a large ambulance type truck with coffee and
food. Terrific people. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office was there in
strength and performed in a professional and caring manner. The Hobucken
USCG arrived to cope with the pollution and a boom is now surrounding the
entire marina. Al Golden's insurance company called me to see if we were OK
and if there was anything they could do! Me sleep now.

Also see:

FireNews.net

3 hurt, boats destroyed in marina blaze | abc11.com

Ron Rogers