By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A small day tour boat caught fire in Silver Bay Sunday morning, but all of the 14 people aboard were evacuated to safety with no major injuries reported, Sitka Fire Department said.
The skipper of the M/V Yukon Queen called the Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16 at 10:42 a.m. Sunday reporting the vessel had caught fire in Silver Bay near Bear Cove.
The 56-foot aluminum Yukon Queen is owned by Adventure Sitka, which offers day excursions to cruise ship passengers. The vessel was under way from the Gary Paxton Industrial Park dock en route to a homestead site at the head of Silver Bay when a fire was reported in the engine room.
The fire department said workers at Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association’s Medvejie hatchery heard the distress call and sent two work skiffs out to offload passengers and crew. The Yukon Queen crew transferred the passengers to the hatchery vessels, which took them to the Medvejie dock.
“Crew members led the firefighting effort, which focused on use of on-board fire extinguishers and closing all hatches, vents and intakes leading to the engine room to contain and isolate the fire,” said SFD Senior Engineer Scott Foss.
Coast Guard Air Station Sitka diverted a helicopter from a training flight to the scene. The city emergency response boat, with six firefighters equipped with firefighting and dewatering pumps, also was dispatched to the area.
The fire “self-extinguished” before emergency crews arrived, the fire department said. “After ensuring the fuel and power were secured, firefighters remained on board to monitor for rekindle,” Foss said.
The passengers on the Yukon Queen were visiting Sitka aboard the cruise ship Sapphire Princess. A passenger van picked them up at the hatchery and took them to town. Another Adventure Sitka excursion boat, M/V Northwest Adventurer, came alongside the Yukon Queen, which was escorted back to the dock by Coast Guard and fire department vessels.
“On moorage at the GPIP dock, FD and USCG personnel continued their investigation,” the fire department said.
The cause of the fire is not known.
One Yukon Queen crew member was treated for possible smoke inhalation and released from Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center, but there were no other reports of injuries or pollution from the vessel, officials said.
The fire department estimated the damage at $500,000. Adventure Sitka co-owner Chris McGraw told the Sentinel that the engine room damage will require an overhaul of the vessel, and it will be out of service the remainder of the season.
“It was an unfortunate incident, but I want to applaud the crew members of the vessel who used their training to ensure all passengers were safely evacuated from the vessel,” McGraw said. “I also would like to thank the employees from Medvejie hatchery for their assistance, and Allen Marine which also had a vessel at the scene. Thank you also to the Fire Hall and the Coast Guard.”
In a statement, the fire department said: “The SFD commends the captain and crew of the Yukon Queen for their quick and decisive action in containing the fire and the expedient and safe evacuation of its passengers. Their mental preparedness in this situation and high state of readiness saved lives and prevented an unexpected and intense situation from becoming a disaster.”
McGraw said after the vessel is released by the Coast Guard he plans to haul it out at Halibut Point Marine to assess the damage, and make arrangements for repairs. In the meantime, he said, he’s trying to locate another boat to fill in for this summer’s pre-sold tours. He said the tours, which include a campfire cookout, a visit to Fortress of the Bears and a talk on Silver Bay mining history, have been selling out.
