Firefighters Continue To Respond To Fishing Vessel Fire In Tacoma, Cause Unknown

As the fire aboard the factory trawler Kodiak Enterprise continues to burn on Monday morning, the Tacoma Fire Department has withdrawn the shelter-in-place order for Northeast Tacoma, Browns Point, and Dash Point.

#UPDATE Response crews continue to work diligently in firefighting efforts on Kodiak Enterprise.@EPANorthWest@ecySeattle@PortofTacoma@TacomaFire pic.twitter.com/Fd3Yf23Uqz

— USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) April 10, 2023

This incident began early Saturday morning when the large fishing vessel in the Hylebos Waterway was carrying 19,000 pounds of freon and an estimated 55,000 litres of diesel.

Although the emission of freon into the atmosphere poses no concern to public health or safety, firefighters are still putting out the fire while spraying cooling water.

Three tiers of containment boom have been created to safeguard the aquatic environment, with three skimmers and boom boats deployed as a preventive precaution.

While the Coast Guard Cutter Osprey and Station Seattle investigate what caused the incident, all commercial and recreational vessel movement in this area has been suspended.

The Kodiak Enterprise is a 276.8-foot vessel built in 1977 as an offshore supply vessel before being converted into a factory trawler in 1989. Trident Seafoods primarily uses it to catch Wild Alaska Pollock.

Reference: MarineLink, The Seattle News