Firefighters respond to ship fire near Fred Meyer

Update 11 am:
By Danielle Anthony-Goodwin

We responded to the scene of the fire and spoke with Seattle Fire Spokesperson Kyle Moore, and he confirmed that they received a call at 10:15 a.m. reporting a fire in the welding galley on the main deck of a 110-foot fishing trawler moored in the ship canal to the east of Ballard Bridge.

The  trawler’s crew attempted to extinguish the fire, however they were unsuccessful and the fire became out of control. Moore reported that the fire had extended from the galley to the fo’c’sle of the trawler and near the wheel house. The crew was successfully evacuated from the trawler and there were no injuries to report.

Fishing trawler can be seen in the distance on the left above the shipping containers.

SFD crews (which included a total of up to 90 fire fighters) responded and had the blaze under control in 25 minutes. “The fire is now under control and we currently have rotating crews on scene to dig out the hot spots on the trawler,” says Moore. Moore also reported that there was no fuel or dangerous substances leaking on the vessel at the time of the fire.

The SFD fire vessels with divers and the SPD harbor patrol were also standing by at the scene to assist the crew in case any crew from the trawler fell into the water. “To put it into perspective marina fires require some of the biggest response from the SFD due to the close proximity of vessels within a marina. These fires have the potential to jump quickly from vessel to vessel and extend,” says Moore.

Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Kyle Moore and fire fighter Todd Miner at the scene.

“SFD crews will remain on the scene to combat the hot spots on the trawler. The fire is not out, but it is under control,” Moore continued.

We will update readers as more information becomes available.

Earlier: Firefighters have responded to a report of a galley fire on a 110-foot trawler in the Ship Canal, near Ballard Fred Meyer at 653 NW 41st St. Nine engines, two ladder trucks and two boats are part of the very large response.

KIRO’s helicopter arrived shortly after the fire broke out (images courtesy of KIRO 7). Smoke poured from the cabin of the ship, where firefighters worked to get a handle on it. About 45 minutes after the call went out, Seattle Fire said the blaze was under control. The crew was able to escape without injury.