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Aftermath of deadly boat fires in Alabama
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SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (AP) — At least eight people were killed early Monday in an explosive fire that consumed dozens of vessels docked at a marina along the Tennessee River in northern Alabama.
Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus said all eight people who were known to be missing have been confirmed dead, and “that number could go up, because we don’t know how many were on boats” that sank.
The fire began just after midnight at Jackson County Park Marina and quickly consumed the dock as people were sleeping. The wooden dock at at least 35 vessels went up in flames and an aluminum roof that covered many of the boats melted and collapsed, cutting off escape routes and raining debris over the area as boaters leaped into the river.
#BREAKING: Multiple people are dead and several others are missing after a fire at the Jackson County Park in Scottsboro, Alabama. @WKRN https://t.co/eaKKjpqVIx
— Josh Breslow (@JoshBreslowWKRN) January 27, 2020
“It was scary. The worst thing for me is you could hear people screaming for help, and there was nothing we could do. Nobody could do anything to get to them,” said Julie Jackson, who lives with her husband and son in a houseboat on another dock that did not burn at the marina.
At least seven people were sent to hospitals suffering from exposure to the flames or the frigid water.
Necklaus said some of the burning boats sank at the dock and others floated away before going under. He said divers need to locate each one and search them individually before they can be sure there were no other victims.
“We woke up hearing screams and popping noises,” Mandy Durham, who was with her boyfriend in a nearby boat, told The Associated Press. “When we woke up, we could see red through the window.”
“Within 15 to 20 minutes, the whole dock was in flames,” she added. “All these boats have propane tanks and gas tanks, and that’s a lot of fire.”
Most of the boats that were destroyed had people living on them permanently, but some mainly spent weekends on them, Durham said.
The park includes a boat ramp, a dock and a restaurant, and offers boat rentals, according to Jackson County’s government website.
“Everybody is just hoping to find the ones they knew on that dock. There were families there. It’s devastating,” Durham said.
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