 September 03, 2002
According to a news release, Petty Officer Dale Pope, a Coast Guard member at Station Ketchikan, heard the explosion from Petro Marine nearby. Pope ran to the window and saw the vessel Dream Catcher engulfed in flames. He and fellow station crewmembers responded within three minutes. Petty Officer Mark MacDonald, a small boat crewman, said Petro Marine workers extinguished the fire when they arrived on scene. The small boat crew towed the vessel to Thomas Basin for mooring. A Ketchikan Fire Department fire boat crew aboard the Harry Newell, transited alongside the Dream Catcher to ensure the fire did not restart. "One reason the fire may have started is the operator of the Dream Catcher didn't run his exhaust fan long enough. He said he only ran it for about 30 seconds. A Coast Guard rule is that you should run your exhaust fan for at least 2 minutes before starting your boat," said MacDonald.
Source of News Release:
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