Tag Archives: Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department

Boat fire sends fishermen scrambling

His boat catching fire wasn’t the hot start to the commercial fishing season Jerry Matzen III was hoping for, but the 34-year-old Ilwaco fisherman was glad his boat was saved from the flames to fish another day. Matzen’s boat was already billowing smoke from the port side when Ilwaco Volunteer Fire Department arrived at about 8 a.m. Friday, May 1 to the Ilwaco Boatyard. Within minutes the fire crew doused the flames and cut out a charred chunk of wood siding to prevent the fire from spreading further. The burnt section was about 3 feet long and a foot tall. Fortunately it was above the waterline and in a straight spot before the curve of the stern, making for a less complicated repair with no structural damage, Matzen said. Matzen bought the boat in early January, his first as the sole owner. “It’s where my crab money went, to starting my own business.” 6 photos, >click to read< 17:04