January 07, 2008
Monday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Thursday night the Ketchikan Fire Department received a call reporting an electrical fire on the pier at Alaska Ship and Drydock at 3801 Tongass Avenue. The call was received at At 11:45 PM January 3rd.

According to Assistant Fire Chief Jim Hill, first arriving fire crews reported lots of smoke from the waterside of the wharf near the docked AMHS M/V Matanuska. At that time a second-alarm was requested for manpower and the city fireboat Harry Newell along with the USCG 47 foot rescue boat were both dispatched to assist.

It appeared the fire was below the surface of the dock in a concrete pipe chase that contains utilities for ships docked and being worked on by the shipyard said Hill. Incident managers ordered power cut to the area and fire crews removed the heavy wooden deck material that provides access to the chase for maintenance and extinguished the fire.

Officials from Alaska Ship and Drydock estimated costs to repair the damaged electrical equipment at $50,000 according to information provided by Assistant Fire Chief Hill.

The fire was brought under control quickly and completely extinguished by 12:30 AM reported Hill. The cause of the fire appeared to be an electrical malfunction. Crews cleared the scene at 1:00 AM.

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Ketchikan, Alaska