At a well-liked boating location on the Utah-Arizona border, more than six houseboats briefly caught fire on Friday. Visitors and jet skiers watched as the flames were put out while the boats were still burning. Video from witnesses shows the black plumes of smoke rising into the air over Lake Powell and the red granite cliffs that encircle it, as the decks of boats anchored at Wahweap Marina smoldered. Owner of Skylite Houseboat Management Robert Wilkes stated that the fire started early in the afternoon and burned for approximately 1.5 hours. Trained as a firefighter, Wilkes extinguished the fire with the use of a garden hose and the assistance of park rangers who, according to him, came shortly after the boats caught fire.
“I began removing boats from the dock in an attempt to make space so it wouldn’t behave like a tree line,” the man stated. A representative for Aramark Destinations, which looks after the marina, Lisa Cesaro, stated that as of Friday night, the fire had been put out and contained.
“The National Park Service will make information available as soon as it becomes available. The cause of the fire is being investigated,” Cesaro stated.
The Park Service did not immediately reply to requests from The Associated Press seeking comment. Wilkes reported not knowing of any injuries. However, he claimed that a yacht owned by his management firm had been wrecked. Boaters have been returning their yachts to the marina throughout the spring after an unusually wet winter raised lake levels that had previously reached historic lows. The National Park Service reports that about two million tourists boat on Lake Powell each year. In the past, park rangers have reacted to houseboat fires on multiple occasions, notably in 2022, 2015, and 2011.
At a well-liked boating location on the Utah-Arizona border, more than six houseboats briefly caught fire on Friday. Visitors and jet skiers watched as the flames were put out while the boats were still burning. Video from witnesses shows the black plumes of smoke rising into the air over Lake Powell and the red granite cliffs that encircle it, as the decks of boats anchored at Wahweap Marina smoldered. Owner of Skylite Houseboat Management Robert Wilkes stated that the fire started early in the afternoon and burned for approximately 1.5 hours. Trained as a firefighter, Wilkes extinguished the fire with the use of a garden hose and the assistance of park rangers who, according to him, came shortly after the boats caught fire.
“I began removing boats from the dock in an attempt to make space so it wouldn’t behave like a tree line,” the man stated. A representative for Aramark Destinations, which looks after the marina, Lisa Cesaro, stated that as of Friday night, the fire had been put out and contained.
“The National Park Service will make information available as soon as it becomes available. The cause of the fire is being investigated,” Cesaro stated.
The Park Service did not immediately reply to requests from The Associated Press seeking comment. Wilkes reported not knowing of any injuries. However, he claimed that a yacht owned by his management firm had been wrecked. Boaters have been returning their yachts to the marina throughout the spring after an unusually wet winter raised lake levels that had previously reached historic lows. The National Park Service reports that about two million tourists boat on Lake Powell each year. In the past, park rangers have reacted to houseboat fires on multiple occasions, notably in 2022, 2015, and 2011.
At a well-liked boating location on the Utah-Arizona border, more than six houseboats briefly caught fire on Friday. Visitors and jet skiers watched as the flames were put out while the boats were still burning. Video from witnesses shows the black plumes of smoke rising into the air over Lake Powell and the red granite cliffs that encircle it, as the decks of boats anchored at Wahweap Marina smoldered. Owner of Skylite Houseboat Management Robert Wilkes stated that the fire started early in the afternoon and burned for approximately 1.5 hours. Trained as a firefighter, Wilkes extinguished the fire with the use of a garden hose and the assistance of park rangers who, according to him, came shortly after the boats caught fire.
“I began removing boats from the dock in an attempt to make space so it wouldn’t behave like a tree line,” the man stated. A representative for Aramark Destinations, which looks after the marina, Lisa Cesaro, stated that as of Friday night, the fire had been put out and contained.
“The National Park Service will make information available as soon as it becomes available. The cause of the fire is being investigated,” Cesaro stated.
The Park Service did not immediately reply to requests from The Associated Press seeking comment. Wilkes reported not knowing of any injuries. However, he claimed that a yacht owned by his management firm had been wrecked. Boaters have been returning their yachts to the marina throughout the spring after an unusually wet winter raised lake levels that had previously reached historic lows. The National Park Service reports that about two million tourists boat on Lake Powell each year. In the past, park rangers have reacted to houseboat fires on multiple occasions, notably in 2022, 2015, and 2011.
At a well-liked boating location on the Utah-Arizona border, more than six houseboats briefly caught fire on Friday. Visitors and jet skiers watched as the flames were put out while the boats were still burning. Video from witnesses shows the black plumes of smoke rising into the air over Lake Powell and the red granite cliffs that encircle it, as the decks of boats anchored at Wahweap Marina smoldered. Owner of Skylite Houseboat Management Robert Wilkes stated that the fire started early in the afternoon and burned for approximately 1.5 hours. Trained as a firefighter, Wilkes extinguished the fire with the use of a garden hose and the assistance of park rangers who, according to him, came shortly after the boats caught fire.
“I began removing boats from the dock in an attempt to make space so it wouldn’t behave like a tree line,” the man stated. A representative for Aramark Destinations, which looks after the marina, Lisa Cesaro, stated that as of Friday night, the fire had been put out and contained.
“The National Park Service will make information available as soon as it becomes available. The cause of the fire is being investigated,” Cesaro stated.
The Park Service did not immediately reply to requests from The Associated Press seeking comment. Wilkes reported not knowing of any injuries. However, he claimed that a yacht owned by his management firm had been wrecked. Boaters have been returning their yachts to the marina throughout the spring after an unusually wet winter raised lake levels that had previously reached historic lows. The National Park Service reports that about two million tourists boat on Lake Powell each year. In the past, park rangers have reacted to houseboat fires on multiple occasions, notably in 2022, 2015, and 2011.
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