UMATILLA, Ore.-Three boats burned and sank in the Umatilla Marina during a two-alarm fire on the morning of January 19.
Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District (URFPD) crews first responded to reports of a fire just before 6:30 a.m. and found two burning boats drifting away from the dock. A third boat still tied to the dock was also burning when fire crews arrived.
Fire crews quickly put out the fire on board the boat tied to the dock and worked to protect nearby boats that were sustaining heat damage. According to URFPD, the incident was upgraded to a second-alarm fire, which brought several more resources to the fires.
Umatilla Fire and Boardman Fire Rescue both launched fire boats to fight the fires on the two drifting boats, however, all three of the burning boats ended up sinking.
Boardman Fire Rescue, Umatilla County Fire District #1, Umatilla Police, the Umatilla and Morrow County Sheriff boat divisions and the Oregon State Police all assisted Umatilla Fire at the scene.
Umatilla Public Works deployed booms in the marina to contain any hazardous materials that might leak from the boats, and Umatilla Fire is now working with the Oregon State Fire Marshals Office, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Oregon Health Authority, the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as with private contractors on the cleanup efforts.
The cause of the fires is under investigation, and the waterway into the Umatilla Marina is closed until further notice as cleanup continues.
