Fire damages tour boat at new Whittier cruise dock
No injuries were reported, while the Coast Guard established a safety zone and Norwegian Jade departed safely.
Emergency crews responded to a fire at Whittier’s new cruise dock shortly before 11 a.m. Monday, according to Anchorage Fire Department spokesperson Megan Peters. Peters said no injuries were reported. The incident damaged the M/V Klondike Express, a tour boat moored at the site.
Phillips Cruises & Tours said the vessel was affected by flames, heat and smoke from a dock fire beside it, but maintained that no fire started on or was aboard the boat. A U.S. Coast Guard account said the tour boat caught fire while moored at the north cruise ship terminal with no passengers aboard. According to that account, the vessel was released from the pier before the onboard fire was extinguished.
The Coast Guard set a 500-yard safety zone and asked residents and mariners to remain clear while responders worked. The agency also said Norwegian Jade, which had been moored at the dock, safely left the area Monday.
State transportation officials said an emergency assistance request prompted a temporary closure of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The tunnel reopened by 2 p.m. Monday. Phillips Cruises & Tours said it would continue operating with its other vessels, which had been moored at another dock.