Fire Burns Through FV Kodiak Enterprise at Tacoma Dock

The fire on board the fishing vessel Kodiak Enterprise has nearly burned itself out as crews continue to spray water on the hull and extinguish any remnant hot spots on board.

The Kodiak Enterprise has developed a list to its port side, but the U.S. Coast Guard said divers have confirmed that no water intrusion has been detected and the hull remains intact.

Responders from the Tacoma Fire Department are continuing cooling operations by continuously applying water to the vessel’s hull. Fire fighters are also on board and actively engaging the remaining fires and prioritizing spaces for dewatering, which is expected to improve vessel stability.

Air monitoring continued overnight and Tuesday morning, but so far results have not shown particulates above normal levels. So far, not freon has been detected at the site or in surrounding areas.

The U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Tacoma Fire Department were continuing to their response as of Tuesday.

The fire on the Kodiak Enterprise started early Saturday morning as the vessel was docked at Trident Seafoods in the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, Washington. The fire appears to have started in the forward portion of the 276-foot ship and has since spread through entirety of the vessel, prompting fears of damage to the vessel’s freon tanks.

Heat from the fire can cause pressure to build up in the freon tanks, however, they are equipped built-in heat-activated pressure relief valves designed to release pressure in emergency situations.

The U.S. Coast Guard says that while freon can be toxic if inhaled in large quantities or in a confined space, the release of freon into the atmosphere is not expected to pose any health and safety risks to the public. A shelter-in-place order for nearby areas was lifted Monday.

Kodiak Enterprise is one of four large trawlers in Trident Seafoods’ catcher/processor fleet. Each vessel houses a processing plant below the fishing deck that employs more than 100 workers.

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