Need4Speed
08-20-2005, 03:25 AM
Firefighters put out a fire and they and others quickly contained a diesel fuel spill that could have caused major problems after this steel trawler under repair caught fire Thursday at Jarrett Bay Boat Works. (Dylan Ray photo)
BY ERIC STEINKOPFFhttp://www.carteretnewstimes.com/819-jarrettfire.jpg
NEWS-TIMES
JARRETT BAY — An 85-foot steel trawler under repair in dry dock caught fire at midday Thursday at the Marine Industrial Park north of Beaufort.
The blaze at Jarrett Bay Boat Works drew a crowd almost immediately.
At least 40 firefighters from no less than four county departments responded to the call shortly before noon, some arriving on the scene on fire trucks in minutes while other volunteers came from their full-time jobs via pick-up trucks, vans or any other vehicle they could get.
They quickly donned their boots, gloves, overalls, coats and helmets and filled in wherever they could in the searing heat from a blaze that turned an otherwise mild 85-degree August day to an inferno.
Acrid black smoke from leaking and burning diesel fuel filled the sky, and when the wind changed it completely engulfed fire fighters, who were manning as many as five hoses spewing water on the fire.
The ship was being repaired when the fire started; fortunately there were no injuries.
"They were doing some ‘hot work’ on the boat — cutting or welding," said Jeff Fulcher of Jarrett Bay Boat Works. He added that a torch must have set off fuel in a bilge tank aboard the vessel.
"The name of the trawler is the Bridgette Denise, and it’s owned by Wanchese Fish Company out of Wanchese."
Carteret County Emergency Services Director Allen Smith said his deputy director JoAnn Smith was on the scene to help the incident commander and report back to the county Emergency Operations Center in Beaufort in case other things were needed.
The blaze was in the Beaufort Fire Department district, and it was supported by firefighters from the Davis, Morehead City and Otway Fire Departments.
"We’ve had mutual aid from a number of departments throughout the county," Mr. Smith said.
Estimates on the amount of diesel fuel that spilled onto the ground varied between 2,000 and 4,000 gallons, but responders took steps to prevent the fuel from reaching the water.
"Very little went into a drainage ditch, and they boomed it," said N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources spokeswoman Susan Massengale. "They have a vacuum truck on the scene and are getting whatever they could out of the ditch. We’ll have people out there (Friday) to see what the situation is."
According to Mr. Smith, the Coast Guard was notified right away because the agency oversees environmental clean-ups. A state regional response team was put on stand-by in case it was needed, too.
Workers on the scene used heavy equipment, including a backhoe, to build an earthen berm around the site and to block drainage ditches with dirt. Those efforts contained the spill even though there was a late afternoon downpour in the area.
"There has been a rupture and there has been a spill, but it has been contained in the berm around the structure," Mr. Smith said. "It has not reached wetlands or the water, and there have been no injuries reported."
Sector North Carolina’s deputy department head of preventions, Coast Guard Lt. Chuck Fluke, was on the scene to make sure everybody did what they were supposed to be doing.
"We were notified immediately — we happen to be running an exercise and they notified us as part of the protocol," Lt. Fluke said. "Right now it’s still on land; we kind of do a prevention to make sure it doesn’t reach navigable waters. Even with the rain we were able to maintain the perimeter."
According to Lt. Fluke, the owner brought in a contracted clean-up company that was worked out through his insurance company ahead of time in case there was an oil spill or wrecked vessel. The 5,000-gallon vacuum truck captured any fluid it could.
Firefighters worked on the blaze for several hours with Carteret County Sheriff’s Deputies bringing them cases of bottled water, followed by representative from the Red Cross and Salvation Army with cool drinks to keep them hydrated.
"Hardees in Beaufort is feeding the guys," Mr. Smith said. "There were a lot of efforts and everybody worked great together."
Source:http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/xNTLogoweb2.jpg
BY ERIC STEINKOPFFhttp://www.carteretnewstimes.com/819-jarrettfire.jpg
NEWS-TIMES
JARRETT BAY — An 85-foot steel trawler under repair in dry dock caught fire at midday Thursday at the Marine Industrial Park north of Beaufort.
The blaze at Jarrett Bay Boat Works drew a crowd almost immediately.
At least 40 firefighters from no less than four county departments responded to the call shortly before noon, some arriving on the scene on fire trucks in minutes while other volunteers came from their full-time jobs via pick-up trucks, vans or any other vehicle they could get.
They quickly donned their boots, gloves, overalls, coats and helmets and filled in wherever they could in the searing heat from a blaze that turned an otherwise mild 85-degree August day to an inferno.
Acrid black smoke from leaking and burning diesel fuel filled the sky, and when the wind changed it completely engulfed fire fighters, who were manning as many as five hoses spewing water on the fire.
The ship was being repaired when the fire started; fortunately there were no injuries.
"They were doing some ‘hot work’ on the boat — cutting or welding," said Jeff Fulcher of Jarrett Bay Boat Works. He added that a torch must have set off fuel in a bilge tank aboard the vessel.
"The name of the trawler is the Bridgette Denise, and it’s owned by Wanchese Fish Company out of Wanchese."
Carteret County Emergency Services Director Allen Smith said his deputy director JoAnn Smith was on the scene to help the incident commander and report back to the county Emergency Operations Center in Beaufort in case other things were needed.
The blaze was in the Beaufort Fire Department district, and it was supported by firefighters from the Davis, Morehead City and Otway Fire Departments.
"We’ve had mutual aid from a number of departments throughout the county," Mr. Smith said.
Estimates on the amount of diesel fuel that spilled onto the ground varied between 2,000 and 4,000 gallons, but responders took steps to prevent the fuel from reaching the water.
"Very little went into a drainage ditch, and they boomed it," said N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources spokeswoman Susan Massengale. "They have a vacuum truck on the scene and are getting whatever they could out of the ditch. We’ll have people out there (Friday) to see what the situation is."
According to Mr. Smith, the Coast Guard was notified right away because the agency oversees environmental clean-ups. A state regional response team was put on stand-by in case it was needed, too.
Workers on the scene used heavy equipment, including a backhoe, to build an earthen berm around the site and to block drainage ditches with dirt. Those efforts contained the spill even though there was a late afternoon downpour in the area.
"There has been a rupture and there has been a spill, but it has been contained in the berm around the structure," Mr. Smith said. "It has not reached wetlands or the water, and there have been no injuries reported."
Sector North Carolina’s deputy department head of preventions, Coast Guard Lt. Chuck Fluke, was on the scene to make sure everybody did what they were supposed to be doing.
"We were notified immediately — we happen to be running an exercise and they notified us as part of the protocol," Lt. Fluke said. "Right now it’s still on land; we kind of do a prevention to make sure it doesn’t reach navigable waters. Even with the rain we were able to maintain the perimeter."
According to Lt. Fluke, the owner brought in a contracted clean-up company that was worked out through his insurance company ahead of time in case there was an oil spill or wrecked vessel. The 5,000-gallon vacuum truck captured any fluid it could.
Firefighters worked on the blaze for several hours with Carteret County Sheriff’s Deputies bringing them cases of bottled water, followed by representative from the Red Cross and Salvation Army with cool drinks to keep them hydrated.
"Hardees in Beaufort is feeding the guys," Mr. Smith said. "There were a lot of efforts and everybody worked great together."
Source:http://www.carteretnewstimes.com/xNTLogoweb2.jpg