 June 22, 2004
Fire erupted aboard the barge prompting the tug's operator to contact the Coast Guard at 2:13 p.m. Monday. The Coast Guard also received assistance from the Haines Fire Department (HFD), firefighting water volunteered from Temsco Helicopters Inc., and the crews aboard the tugs Le Cheval Rouge and Ethan B. The crew aboard the vessel Fairweather Express transported the HFD personnel to the scene. The Coast Guard established a 500 yard safety perimeter around the burning vessel. The necessary safety zone delayed the transits of two nearby cruise ships for about an hour and a half. What caused the fire aboard the tug is not yet known, and there are no reports of injuries or fuel spillage. Weather conditions at the scene include light southerly winds with a 500-foot ceiling and about 2 miles of visibility amidst pluming smoking from the barge. The Coast Guard intends to
investigate the cause of the fire.
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