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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 28 January 2020
Alabama fire chief: At least 8

died in marina boat dock fire

By JAY REEVES drowned. way out, Durham said.
Associated Press As Jones was swimming for "Water was the only place
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (AP) — shore in water with a tem- they had to go," Durham
A massive fire that killed at perature in the mid-50s, he said. "Its just extremely sad.
least eight people and de- said, "I looked back and It's horrible."
stroyed dozens of boats in that other boat with the Georgia resident Michael
an Alabama marina early wife and the children on it Watson said his aunt lived
Monday was spread so was all engulfed in flames." with her husband and five The charred remains of a boat are shown following a fatal fire at
rapidly by the wind that At least seven people were children on one of the a Tennessee River marina in Scottsboro, Ala., on Monday, Jan.
"we didn't have time to do sent to hospitals suffering boats that burned. He said 27, 2020.
nothing," said one resident from exposure to the flames his aunt was confirmed Associated Press
who survived but lost his or the frigid water. among the dead and au-
brother in the cold water. "It was scary. The worst thorities are still looking for and fire boats with flashing them, Durham said. The
Tommy Jones, a Jackson thing for me is you could the other six family mem- lights were positioned near park includes a boat ramp,
County Park Marina resi- hear people screaming for bers. Officials have not re- the charred remains, and a a dock and a restaurant,
dent, said he also watched help, and there was noth- leased the names of any of yellow floating boom was and offers boat rentals, ac-
helplessly as a small boat ing we could do. Nobody those killed or missing. being deployed around cording to Jackson Coun-
containing a woman and could do anything to get to Hours after sunrise, smoke the marina to contain ty's government website.
her children was engulfed them," said Julie Jackson, was still rising from the re- spilled fuel. Most of the "Everybody is just hoping to
in flames. who lives with her husband mains of a wooden dock, boats that were destroyed find the ones they knew on
"There was nothing we and son in a houseboat on and pieces of metal that had people living on them that dock. There were fami-
could do," he said. another dock that did not once formed the roof were permanently, but some lies there. It's devastating,"
Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene burn. partially submerged. Police mainly spent weekends on Durham said.q
Necklaus said all eight Necklaus said some of the
people who were known burning boats sank at the
to be missing have been dock and others floated
confirmed dead, and "that away before going under.
number could go up, be- He said divers need to lo-
cause we don't know how cate each one and search
many were on boats" that them individually before
sank. they can be sure there
The fire began just after were no other victims.
midnight and quickly con- "We woke up hearing
sumed the dock as people screams and popping nois-
slept. The wooden dock es," Mandy Durham, who
and at least 35 vessels went was with her boyfriend in a
up in flames and an alu- nearby boat, told The As-
minum roof that covered sociated Press. "When we
many of the boats melted woke up, we could see red
and collapsed, cutting off through the window."
escape routes and rain- "Within 15 to 20 minutes, the
ing debris over the area whole dock was in flames,"
as boaters leaped into the she added. "All these boats
river. have propane tanks and
Jones said he was aboard gas tanks, and that's a lot
his 35-foot cabin cruiser of fire."
when someone came The blaze destroyed the B
banging on the boat after dock, about 50 yards (46
midnight saying, "Man, the meters) from the A dock
marina is on fire." The flames where the boat of Durham's
were racing out to the far boyfriend was moored.
end of the dock where "There were numerous peo-
Jones' boat was tied. ple rescued from the water
Jones said he and several who had escaped by go-
other men cut some boats ing into the water," Jack-
free and sent them drifting son County Chief Sheriff's
out into the water. When Deputy Rocky Harnen told
a man placed his wife the AP shortly after dawn.
and children into a small "We're trying to get divers
boat, they cut that boat down here to search for
free too. Finally, Jones said, possible victims."
he jumped into the water People were jumping onto
and swam for shore, 200 a boat at the end of the
yards away. He believes dock because fire had
his brother Yancey Roper, consumed the middle por-
who lived aboard another tion and that was their
boat, swam in a different only escape. But then the
direction. Officials later told flames spread to that boat,
him that his brother had leaving water as their only