SEATTLE — One man was injured when he and his dog jumped into the water to escape a boat fire at Lakewood Marina in South Seattle Sunday night. The fire destroyed three boats, but witnesses say it could’ve been much worse.
Marty Opacich was in his boat at the end of the dock on Lake Washington around 9 p.m. when the fire started.
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“We had to run down the friggin' dock and it was like running through a forest fire,” Opacich told KIRO 7.
The owner of one of the now-destroyed boats jumped into the water with his dog to escape the flames. They were rescued by the Seattle Harbor Patrol.
Witnesses said firefighters arrived at the scene quickly. They stretched nearly 2,000 feet of hose to reach the boats.
“I saw a fireman and I said listen, ‘I have a fishing boat out here. We can pull a couple boats out of here.,’” Opacich said. “He said, 'Come on let's go.'”
They were able to push out one boat that was right next to the two boats engulfed in flames. That boat has some damage. Opacich and firefighters were able to move another boat while firefighters battled the flames.
Daniel Brentwood-Alfred. who was in his boat at the marina, told KIRO 7 he knows the man who was rescued by the Harbor Patrol.
“I talked to him this morning,” Brentwood-Alfred said. “He's good, he's good.”
Three boats are now destroyed, and fire investigators are working to determine the cause. But the feeling at Lakewood Marina is more of relief.
“I can't stress it more, how remarkable Seattle Fire Department did,” Opacich said. “We could've lost this whole friggin' dock.”
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