Two people rescued from boat that caught fire in Commencement Bay on Fourth of July

TACOMA — The Fourth of July in Tacoma kicked off with smoke in Commencement Bay — and not from fireworks.

Two people were rescued from the water near Tyee Marina this morning after their boat went up in flames just before 9:30 a.m. They emerged from the incident unscathed, confirmed Tacoma Fire Department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd.

Emergency calls about smoke in the water off the shores of the 5400-5600 blocks of Marine View Drive started around 9:25 a.m. on Thursday.

Tacoma Police Department’s Marine Services and Dive Unit arrived on the scene by 9:26 a.m., pulling the two people out of the water. The fire department’s Fireboat Destiny arrived shortly thereafter to put out the flames, which took another half-hour to contain.

In between the arrival of police and fire crews, nearby tugboats from the Foss Maritime Company at the Port of Tacoma assisted with containment, Shepherd said.

The fire did not threaten Tyee or neighboring Browns Point Marina, she added. There was concern for gasoline spilling into the water, but as of 10:30 a.m. crews had safely pulled the boat to Tyee Marina.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.