Earlier today a fire completely destroyed the luxury cruise yacht, Safari Spirit while docked in Seattle.
The ship was being prepared for a season of Alaska cruises, so there were no passengers on board, but an engineer and the ships owner, Dan Blanchard, were on board but were able to escape by crawling down a mooring line to the dock. The fire started sometime around 1am.
The 105-foot yacht was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, said Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore.
The Seattle Fire Department continued to battle the blaze using fire boats and fire trucks until it was extinguished. No fuel or oil has leaked from the ship, and the ship is currently upright.
Tim Jacox, vice president of InnerSea Discoveries spoke earlier today saying,
Passengers will be accommodated on other vessels. American Safari Cruises and its parent company, InnerSea Discoveries, headquartered at Fisherman’s Terminal, operate seven vessels in what the website calls exclusive yacht adventures. Scheduled cruises and charters are offered in Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico, on the Columbia-Snake river and out of Seattle, Jacox said.
It’s unknown if the Safari Spirit can be salvaged, Jacox said. The fire destroyed four decks, including the passenger rooms. The ship is fully insured.
“Both Dan and the engineer were able to get off,” Jacox said. “That’s the most important.”
I will continue to update this story as it develops further.
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Header image: expeditioncruising.com
