Tag Archives: Tacoma
NTSB Report: Fire Alarm Aboard Kodiak Enterprise Never Sent an Alert
In the early hours of April 8, 2023, a fire broke out in the dry stores compartment of the fishing vessel F/V Kodiak Enterprise. The vessel was in port for a regular yard period, including cutting and welding of wasted hull and bulkhead sections. Four crewmembers from the engineering department were staying on board. On April 7, repair contractors were aboard to carry out hot work on the pilot house, hold deck, 03 deck and on a variety of vent pipe valves. The dry stores cargo hatch on the 03 level was propped open so that the workers could run a forced air ventilation hose into the interior. They finished and disembarked at about 1530 hours. The assistant chief engineer inspected the work areas after they left, and all looked to be in order. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:14
Fish Factory Vessel Leaking Ammonia in Tacoma
A 77-year-old fish factory vessel with a checkered history is reportedly leaking ammonia in Tacoma, Wash. The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it is responding to the incident on board the U.S.-registered Pacific Producer, a 169-foot-long seafood processing vessel with a long string of health and safety violations. Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology crews in HAZMAT suits are currently working to locate leak. The vessel poses no immediate threat to the public, and air quality is being monitored, the Coast Guard said. Pacific Producer usually works in the Alaskan fishing industry but has been docked in Tacoma for about a year following a number of serious violations. >click to read< 17:35
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Unified Command stands down for vessel fire in Tacoma, Washington
The Unified Command composed of Tacoma Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, Washington Department of Ecology and Puyallup Tribe of Indians, with support from several other agencies, which was stood up to respond to the April 8 fire aboard the fishing vessel Kodiak Enterprise moored in the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, was stood down Friday. Over the last several days, responders alternated between removing fuel and pockets of water, to maintain vessel stability. All of the diesel remaining aboard the vessel was successfully removed with no fuel spilled or sheening observed during defueling operations. Now that the pollution threat has been mitigated, the Unified Command has stood down. >click to read< 08:51
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Crews removing water, chemicals from Tacoma fishing boat before investigating cause of fire
Crews extinguished the last of the fires Friday but investigators who will look for the cause still aren’t able to set foot on the boat. Officials said a few things need to happen first, like the removal of the gas, oil, and water still on the vessel. “Right now, the biggest priority is dewatering the vessel to right it, ” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier. The 276-foot Kodiak Enterprise still lists to one side. It’s because of the water poured into the boat to put out the flames. Getting that water and other potentially damaging chemicals off the boat is the new priority. >click to read< 07:29
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Firefighters extinguish hot spots, prepare to scale back response to fishing boat fire in Tacoma
The fire on the 276-foot vessel Kodiak Enterprise started at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday while the boat was moored at Trident Seafoods in the Hylebos Waterway, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. The fire department is currently working on a demobilization plan to scale back its response to the incident. “Now that it’s safe, we’re actually putting people in those individual rooms [of the vessel] again. Things have cooled down, and we’re actually able to go compartment by compartment and check those off,” said Magliocca. “It seems like there’s no pressure on the tanks that we’ve been worried about, the freon tank and the fuel tank.” Photos, >click to read< 08:05
Fire Subsides Aboard Factory Trawler F/V Kodiak Enterprise
Firefighters have begun the process of knocking down the last remaining pockets of fire aboard the factory trawler F/V Kodiak Enterprise, which caught fire at a pier in Tacoma early Saturday. The fire burned through most of the vessel by Monday and decreased further in size on Tuesday, according to the unified command managing the response. The blaze has subsided enough that the Tacoma Fire Department green-lighted operations to access the ship’s interior and begin extinguishing any remaining hot spots. The vessel still has a pronounced list to port, but dewatering operations are under way to restore full stability. A dive inspection on Tuesday found that the ship is intact below the waterline, dispelling earlier concerns that she might be taking on water. Photos, >click to read< 10:47
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Day 3 – Fire crews prioritizing keeping burning Tacoma ship from capsizing
The ship is visibly leaning to the port side, “more than we want it to,” officials said on Monday. The ship is taking on water, but crews working on scene aren’t sure how. Work is underway to pump water out of the ship so it remains stable. A dive operation is also underway so the hull of the ship can be inspected. In the meantime, as the fire continues burning inside, firefighters are keeping their distance. “We’re trying to limit the number of people that go on board,” said Todd Magliocca, an operations leader with Tacoma Fire. Applying water from the inside is risky as crews are trying to prioritize keeping the ship upright. Video, >click to read< 10:32
Ship with history of safety, pollution violations moored indefinitely in Tacoma
A 77-year-old fishing ship with a reputation of pollution and safety violations has been docked on the Foss Waterway in Tacoma since August after smashing into a private pier and raising concerns about its integrity. Its owner said he doesn’t know when it will leave. The fishing vessel Pacific Producer arrived at its current location on Aug. 29, according to a nearby condo resident. The 472 gross ton, 169-foot-long boat was built in 1946 and has been working in Alaskan waters until recently. It’s registered to East West Seafoods of Seattle. “Working in the Alaskan fishing industry – an occupation already regarded as one of the nation’s most dangerous – employees aboard the F/V Pacific Producer faced dangers purely of their employer’s making,” >click to read< 09:23
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Shelter-in-place remains in effect as fishing boat fire continues to burn
A massive fishing boat fire in Tacoma just northwest of Chinook Landing Marina continues to burn Monday. On Monday morning, smoke from the fire continued but had visibly lessened. The fire on the 276-foot vessel Kodiak Enterprise started at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday while the boat was moored at Trident Seafoods in the Hylebos Waterway. Trident Seafoods said there were three people on board the ship when the fire started but they made it out safely without any injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Photos, >click to read< 11:42
Authorities respond to fishing vessel fire in Tacoma; shelter-in-place order issued for nearby areas
The Tacoma Fire Department has issued a temporary shelter-in-place order for some areas after a fishing vessel caught fire early Saturday morning, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. The order applies to the Northeast Tacoma, Browns Point and Dash Point neighborhoods. Residents in these areas are advised to stay indoors and limit exposure to smoke. The Coast Guard has closed the Hylebos Waterway to all commercial and recreation vessel traffic at this time and has deployed the Coast Guard Cutter Osprey and Station Seattle to enforce the closure. 17 photos, >click to read< 20:39
Unified command responds to fishing vessel fire in Tacoma, Washington
The Tacoma Fire Department, the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington Department of Ecology and other agencies are continuing their response to the fishing vessel, F/V Kodiak Enterprise, that caught fire early Saturday morning while moored at Trident Seafoods in the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma. The fire has progressed throughout the ship and was last reported approximately 100 feet from the vessel’s freon tanks. The vessel is reported to have an estimated 55,000 gallons of diesel and 19,000 pounds of freon onboard. The heat from the fire can cause pressure to build in the freon tanks. >click to read more< 17:44
NTSB: Hot Work Failures Led to Fire on Aleutian Falcon
The fire was reported on the commercial fish processor Aleutian Falcon on Feb. 17, 2021 while the vessel was docked for repairs at a shipyard in Tacoma, Washington. The Tacoma Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire four days later. No one was on board the vessel at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported. An estimated 20-30 gallons of hydraulic oil leaked into the water but were captured by a containment boom. The vessel was declared a total loss with an estimated value of nearly $16.5 million. >click to read< 09:38
J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation (Tacoma)
In January 1917, Martinac, with partners Martin Petrich (1880-1971) and William Vickat, established the Western Boatbuilding Company in Old Tacoma. In April, The Tacoma Daily Ledger reported the company employed 40 men building fishing boats up to 70 feet in length for use “in Alaskan waters, on the Columbia River and on Puget Sound” (“Fishing Vessels Turned Out Here”). Fourteen fishing boats worth $90,000 left the plant by the end of September, and the company found itself “receiving inquiries from all over the Sound” and “points in the Pacific Northwest” (“Builds $90,000 Worth of Boats”). While the venture was a success, In 1924, Martinac founded his own company, the J. M. Martinac Shipbuilding Corporation. While the company built some yachts, it primarily built fishing vessels. Photo gallery, >click to read< 21:08
James (Jimmy) Omegna, a retired commercial fisherman. has passed away in Tacoma, Washington
James (Jimmy) Omegna 04-05-1946 to 02-21-21 – Jim was born in Tacoma, grew up in the Fife Valley and lived his whole life in Washington State. Jim was an avid fisherman, bird hunter, journeyman plumber, entrepreneur, and boat captain; the best father and a kind and generous friend and neighbor to many people, from Alaska to Baja, Mexico. Jim was a popular and successful charter captain based in Westport, WA where he operated his boats the Cold Spaghetti I and II during the 70’s and 80’s. As the industry declined, he switched gears to commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, AK during the summer herring and salmon seasons. When not in Alaska, he fished the San Francisco Bay herring runs and worked The Great Salt Lake brine shrimp season, he was never one to sit still. >click to read< 14:45
