Smoke billows from the pilothouse of the F/V Spicy Lady while it is towed toward Baranof Warm Springs by the Samaritan vessel F/V Angelette. Photo taken from the deck of the F/V Westerly which provided assistance throughout the incident.
A Petersburg-based fishing commercial vessel caught fire Thursday near Point Gardner in Chatham Strait where it had been participating in the golden king crab fishery. The fire prompted a coordinated response from nearby Samaritan vessels, the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 1:49 p.m. reporting that the F/V Spicy Lady, a 58-foot steel vessel, was on fire and crew members were preparing to abandon ship into a life raft, according to Coast Guard Lt. Ben Zarlengo.
The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) requesting assistance from any vessels in the area. The fishing vessel Angelette responded and reached the scene within approximately 10 minutes.
"We had a response. The fishing vessel Angelette was nearby, and they were on scene just within a few minutes," Lt. Zarlengo said. "And they were able to take aboard the five persons that were on the Spicy Lady, and then take that vessel in tow."
The Coast Guard had initially prepared a helicopter response from Air Station Sitka but did not deploy it after confirming the crew's safety aboard the Angelette.
The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) received a distress call at 2:32 p.m. on March 6 directly from the skipper of the F/V Spicy Lady, Fire Chief Jordan Buness reported.
WVFD personnel quickly mobilized upon receiving the call, preparing firefighting equipment and arranging transportation via a private floatplane owned and operated by two department members. The aircraft departed Wrangell Airport at 3:09 p.m. carrying three firefighters equipped with a firefighting pump and tools for an interior attack.
Petersburg volunteer firefighters began mobilizing a response supported by local pilot Doug Reimer of Nordic Air, according to PVFD Director Aaron Hankins.
The Coast Guard directed PVFD to coordinate with WVFD, and with Wrangell's response already launched, PVFD was advised to remain on standby.
"Throughout the flight, the WVFD crew kept in communication with the crew of the F/V Spicy Lady," Buness stated in his report. "The crew had evacuated the vessel with the assistance of the F/V Angelette and informed WVFD that they had sealed all vents, windows, and doors to contain the fire within the focsle."
While en route to Warm Springs Bay, the Spicy Lady was being towed by the Angelette and escorted by another vessel, the F/V Westerly, but their progress was slowed by a broken towline, according to the fire department report.
The firefighting team landed in Warm Springs Bay at 4:03 p.m. after completing the 100-mile flight from Wrangell. They transferred their equipment to the Westerly, which transported them to the Spicy Lady.
Once aboard, the firefighters established a water supply and initiated an interior attack through the rear galley door, encountering dense smoke and extreme heat. They traced the fire's origin to the focsle and began extinguishing it. After bringing the flames under control, the crew ventilated the vessel and began overhaul operations, entering the engine room to shut down the main engine and generator to prevent further damage or hazards.
During the response, firefighters discovered that a crew member of the Spicy Lady had sustained burn injuries during the fire. WVFD transported the injured crew member back to Wrangell aboard their floatplane, departing Warm Springs Bay at 5:28 p.m. and arriving in Wrangell at 6:25 p.m. The injured crewman was then transported by Wrangell EMS to the SEARHC Wrangell Medical Center for treatment.
Before departing, WVFD personnel briefed the Spicy Lady's crew on monitoring and extinguishing any remaining hot spots, leaving behind their firefighting pump, hose, nozzle, and hand tools for continued use.
The Coast Guard had diverted the cutter Douglas Denman to the scene. "The Coast Guard Cutter Crew assisted in the further overhaul of the fire and assisted the crew of the F/V Spicy Lady extinguish any remaining hot spots," Buness reported.
"The skipper and crew of the F/V Spicy Lady are to be commended for their actions under extreme duress," Buness stated in his report. "Their decision to close and/or plug all windows, doors, and vents appeared to significantly slow the fire's growth, allowing responders time to arrive and extinguish the blaze. Without their swift action and response, the vessel likely would have been a total loss."
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. The vessel remains in Warm Springs Bay where damage assessment continues.
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