Ahhh, springtime in Seattle! Ain’t it grand? I went outside this morning to plant a few seeds, and wallowed in…the acrid smell of burnt plastic, fiberglass, and hydraulic fluid. It is usually just exploded propane tanks and charred tents wafting in the morning air, so I knew something was up. Or more correctly, upwind, as I was downwind of the terrible fire at Seattle Boat Company (across Northlake from Voula’s Offshore Café, on the east side of the Ship Canal Bridge), which became engulfed in flames early this morning. The Seattle Times and other sources report a 32-year-old man was in custody after being found hiding in a boat.
When I visited the scene early in the afternoon, the wreckage was still smoking and Seattle Fire was dousing the scene with firehoses while an excavator worked to uncover smoldering hotspots. Reportedly, 35 boats being stored on site were destroyed, out of approximately 85 present. That block of Northlake Way remains closed off while the scene is secured.
