Aerial Video taken of the new docks for Halls Crossing

The Halls Crossing Meeting

The meeting yesterday of houseboat owners and insurance representatives was conducted by Ken Harris of Arnold and Arnold, Aramark's insurance adjuster. It appeared that most everyone was in attendance that were affected by the fire. It was nice to meet and put a face with a lot of the houseboat owners, however, still sad for the losses that everyone incurred. I personally appreciated learning of some of the heartfelt stories from several of you concerning the loss of your boat.

There were several, who devoted most of their free time in their homes on the water, who for one reason or another, will move on and leave this terrible experience behind. I talked to some who had no insurance. One who didn't even authorize the marina to store his boat in a slip, and was caught as a victim of this unfortunate accident.

I've listed below some notes that I took from the meeting. If I have left anything out, please feel free to add to it:

• There was no one on the dock at the time of the fire or just before.
• Fire started at the end of F dock. Origin has been narrowed down to three boats. f17, f15, f13.
• They ruled out arson.
• Something electrical probably started the fire.
• One of the three houseboats that are suspect of the origin of the fire, sank and did not have insurance.
• All boats have been released by the fire marshal.
• The responsibility of fighting the fire for the marina is the park service.
• There were no maintenance people from the marina the night of the fire on F dock.
• Harry, the head mechanic of the marina, was not there and is the only mechanic right now for the marina.
• Aramark wants to do all they can to help the houseboat owners in getting back on their feet and back on the water.

Personal observation: Aramark seemed pretty general and vague with their comments. I got the impression that there was more that they were not disclosing. Ken Harris seemed sincere and very concerned, but still gave general answers to specific questions. It will be up to the insurance companies and their attorneys to fight it out. There were a lot of insurance representatives there, as well as one investigator that I knew of.

Here are some pictures of all the boats moved to the old airport:

Example of a Boat on Fire

The following link will give you an idea of what your houseboat might have looked like on fire at night. This is not the Halls Crossing Marina fire, but some video of a boat on fire. Click on the following link: Boat on Fire

More Photos

Burned boats to be raised at Lake Powell

By Ben Winslow

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 12:14 p.m. MST

Investigators trying to determine the cause of a massive marina fire at Lake Powell plan to raise four boats that sank there.

The Utah State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plans to raise the boats next week, said Max King with the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Investigators will then examine the wreckage to help determine how the fire started.

"They think there's a good chance at least one of these boats might have been the boat where the fire originated," he said Thursday.

The boats are about 200 feet down in the waters of Halls Crossing Marina, a remote part of Lake Powell on the Kane/San Juan county border.

Investigators have kept quiet about their findings or suspicions about the enormous fire that destroyed 15 boats and damaged others on Dec. 18. Flames were seen coming from the covered boat slips.

Firefighters from all over the rural area responded, some taking an airplane from Page, Ariz., to reach the scene. Damage from the fire is estimated at somewhere between $3 million and $5 million.

The dock has not started reconstruction yet, King said. Boats that were salvageable have been relocated to other parts of the marina.

Update on Investigation - News Article

Lake Powell fire: Investigators want to fish for a boat

Marina blaze » Is the sunken vessel the point of origin?

By Nate Carlisle The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 01/15/2009 10:52:02 AM MST

Fire marshals want to recover a boat at the bottom of Lake Powell to see if it was the point of origin in a marina fire last month. Government agencies and private companies are trying to work out the details of who will pay for a contractor to raise the sunken boat so the investigation will proceed, said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron Roden.

The Dec. 18 blaze destroyed -- by flames or sinking -- 15 houseboats or large vessels at Halls Crossing Marina. The boats are valued at $3 to $5 million.

Update on Investigation - News Article

Lake Powell fire: Investigators want to fish for a boat

Marina blaze » Is the sunken vessel the point of origin?

By Nate Carlisle

The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 01/15/2009 10:52:02 AM MST

Fire marshals want to recover a boat at the bottom of Lake Powell to see if it was the point of origin in a marina fire last month. Government agencies and private companies are trying to work out the details of who will pay for a contractor to raise the sunken boat so the investigation will proceed, said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron Roden.

The Dec. 18 blaze destroyed -- by flames or sinking -- 15 houseboats or large vessels at Halls Crossing Marina. The boats are valued at $3 to $5 million.

Meeting set for Jan 27th

Arnold & Arnold, Adjusters for Aramark, has announced a joint inspection meeting on Jan 27th, at 9:00 AM at Halls Crossing. Noonan posted on this blog today that he spoke with Bill Arnold who said the meeting won't start until 10:00 AM, allowing time for those to take the ferry across from Bullfrog.

According to the notice, the purpose of the joint inspection is to allow houseboat owners, "your representatives, and any experts (such as fire cause and origin experts) to inspect the site and the vessels damaged in the fire, which are currently stored on NPS property. We strongly urge you take advantage of this inspection, as we have no control over what the individual boat owners do with their vessels once the site is released by the authorities."

Further more the notice says "...please be reminded that you as the boat owner are responsible for your vessel, regardless of its current condition (some are only partially damaged, some are total losses). Several vessels remain in a sunken condition. Others are stored on NPS land. It is your repsonibility to make arrangements for your vessel, if necessary, to be refloated and/or removed from the site and stored and preserved as evidence in an unaltered condition so as to be available for inspection at a later time. Please also be advised that there may be legal consequences for the failure to preserve your vessel in its current state."

Correspondence

It sounds like a number of boat owners are starting to receive correspondence from the Fire Marshall concerning the fire and their boat. If you are at liberty to share any information, please do so on this blog. If you have additional information or pictures you would like posted here, feel free to contact me directly at: bstone81@comcast.net.

Thanks,

Brad Stone

Visited Halls Crossing

My houseboat partners and I (The Playcraft; F7) went down to Halls Crossing yesterday, Dec 30th to view the damages. We spoke with Debbie, employee of the Marina, concerning the fire. Due to the investigation, she was not able to give us much information. We were able to confirm that there were a total of 20 boats lost, 15 that were burned down to the hull, and 5 that sunk. We were not allowed to get close to the dock, but from a distance, were able to take pictures. The same was true of the remains of the boats. We did confirm that the investigators will be back on the scene on January 5th to finish their investigation.

National Park Service News Release

Glen Canyon News Release

Dated December 22, 2008

HALLS CROSSING MARINA FIRE UPDATE

Page, AZ - State and federal agencies investigating last week's fire in a Utah marina at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area say fewer boats were destroyed -15, not 20 as originally thought- in the late- night blaze. Of those, three vessels sank, at least one of them in water 200 feet deep.

A total of 153 water craft were docked at the Halls Crossing Marina, about 95 river miles up Lake Powell from Glen Canyon Dam, when the fire broke out sometime after n p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18. The fire destroyed the marina's "F" dock, charring boat slips and melting part of the roof covering the dock. A few other boats sustained minor damage, but most were saved by the quick actions of those who first responded to the fire,

including National Park Service and marina concessions staff and other volunteers.

An initial assessment estimated the value of the loss of boats and facilities at between $3 million and $5 million, said Max King, Glen Canyon spokesman and acting public affairs officer. The remains of those boats and some of the others have been moved to a secure area for examination by investigators from the Utah State Fire Marshal's office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), which is assisting because the fire was at a federal facility.

The remains of "F" dock, one of six sets of docks at the marina, are cordoned off and not open to boats or the public. The portion of "D" dock containing boat slips numbered n and higher also is off- limits, according to the marina concessioner, by order of the fire investigators. King said that prohibition includes all individuals, slip

holders and insurance company representatives.

King said that in their initial examination of the fire scene, investigators found no evidence that the fire was deliberately set. The Utah fire marshal continues to categorize the fire's cause as unknown.

"Indications are that it's going to take some time to find the cause," King said, noting that the "marine environment" of the fire will make determining its origins more complicated. King said investigators have left the scene for now but will return after the first of the year to continue their work. Their work is expected to continue into February. The marina is in one of the more remote locales of the recreation area, which encompasses more than 1.25 million acres in southern Utah and northern Arizona along the course of the Colorado River.

"As we move into the investigation phase, the role of the National Park Service is shifting to assistance as needed and securing the scene," King said. Scott Ryan, chief ranger at Natural Bridges National Monument about 60 miles from Halls Crossing, has begun to assess the site for any potential environmental damage so that appropriate clean- up measures can take place.

King said that anyone with information about the fire or needing to contact investigators should do so through the Utah State Fire Marshal's office. The phone number is 801- 284- 6350.www.nps.gov/glca

Spot of Fire Origin may be Pinpointed

According to a Salt Lake Tribune article today:

"They re-created the scene of the blaze on dry land and were zeroing in on a spot where the fire may have started, said Brent McGinn, chief ranger of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The investigation, on its second day Saturday, will likely last into the new year, he said."

New Information on the Number of Boats

According to a KUTV news article today, investigators are now saying that only fifteen boats were destroyed by the fire and not twenty boats originally disclosed. Investigators have left the scene and will return after the first of the year to continue the investigation.

Pieces of the dock and remnants of the boats have been moved to a secure area for further examination by investigators from the Utah State Fire Marshal's office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

The remains of “F” dock, one of six sets of docks at the marina, are cordoned off and not open to boats or the public. The portion of “D” dock containing boat slips numbered 11 and higher also is off-limits, according to the marina concessioner, by order of the fire investigators. Ranger King said that prohibition includes all individuals, slip holders and insurance company representatives.

The NRA spokesman said that in their initial examination of the fire scene, investigators found no evidence that the fire was deliberately set. The Utah fire marshal continues to categorize the fire’s cause as unknown.

“Indications are that it's going to take some time to find the cause,” Ranger King said, noting that the “marine environment” of the fire will make determining its origins more complicated. He added that investigators have left the scene for now but will return after the first of the year to continue their work.

Set up for Houseboat owners

I've set up this blog for the houseboat owners who lost their houseboat in the Halls Crossing fire, to communicate with one another, and to post and receive updated information as it comes available.

Brad Stone