A fire that spread to three boats at the Douglas Harbor Monday evening displaced one liveaboard resident and caused more than half a million dollars in damages.
Capital City Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Dan Jager said the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
“The main boat that was on fire first is completely destroyed. There’s some of the hull left that had never sank, but it came close,” he said. “And then there’s two boats on either side of it that sustained some damage from windows breaking out, and heat getting in from the main boat itself.”
Jager said the first boat that originally caught on fire has been deemed a total loss. A resident who lived on the boat wasn’t there when the fire happened. Jager said they are now staying with family.
Two other boats were damaged by the fire, but no one was living on them. The dock itself and the electrical system of the harbor were also damaged.
“We’re looking at a preliminary estimate of at least half a million dollars in loss between the boats and damage to the dock and the electrical system for the harbor,” he said.
City Harbor Master Matt Creswell said the last large-scale fire to happen at a Juneau dock was back in 2017. He said he is assessing the damage to city property and figuring out the next steps. But despite the damage to the dock, it is safe for other harbor users.
“The affected power has been secured to the affected area and the dock is safe,” he said.
Jager said the U.S. Coast Guard was at the scene Monday and continues to monitor any environmental impacts.
