By: Andy Dong

Last Saturday in Long Beach, a fire started on a 35-foot boat, killing two and injuring three.

The accident happened close to a fueling dock in Alamitos Bay. Two women were killed and two men and one woman were taken to the hospital due to burn injuries, according to Fire Captain, Jake Heflin.

The deaths included 75-year-old Sharon Gentry and 60-year-old Margaret Gentry.

Heflin reported that firefighters got a call about the fire around 5 pm, proceeding to release rescue boats afterward. Others trying to also extinguish the fire said that the blaze happened during the time of fueling. However, the real cause is being investigated.

The firefighters took careful measures to not let the fire spread out onto other boats or the dock. They also ended most of the fires with water cannons. The smoke from the fire was visible for many miles.

Daniel Quinn, who was a host at a nearby restaurant, said he heard a loud explosion, “There was a big bang and I looked up, and there was this ginormous plume of black smoke,” he said. This shows how serious the fire was.

Heflin said that booms, which are barriers used to contain oil spills, were placed around the fire scene to minimize environmental impacts that were potentially caused by fuel or oil leakages. Workers also moved the boat to a separate dock, but the boat partially sank. Officials reported that they were going to use a salvage company to lift the boat out. “There was a big bang and I looked up, and there was this ginormous plume of black smoke,” he said.

Sources: Boat fire kills two and injures three in Long Beach – Los Angeles Times

Authorities ID victims who died in Alamitos Bay boat fire • Long Beach Post News