MARINA DEL REY, Calif.—A coalition of federal and state organizations overseeing diesel cleanup efforts in the wake of a yacht explosion installed approximately 2,000 feet of boom Friday around it in Marina del Rey.
A United States Coast Guard Incident Management Team from Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach is monitoring the cleanup efforts, according to the Coast Guard, which reported that the yacht “caught fire and discharged red-dye diesel.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, a Coast Guard spokesperson said an estimated 4,000 gallons of diesel was dumped into the water.
“The yacht’s fuel capacity is reported to be 6,000 gallons,” the USCG statement said. “Crews from California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s [Department] are also assisting in the efforts.”
The barrier was placed around the vessel and affected areas in the harbor. Crews will continue to monitor the area and work with the Oil Spill Response Organization to assess the extent of impact and continue clean-up efforts, the Coast Guard said.
The fire on board the approximately three-story, 105-foot boat dubbed The Admiral was reported shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at 211 Basin A, where flames engulfed the vessel, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.
County fire officials said in a statement Thursday morning that the owner of the boat reported having “1,000 rounds of unspent ammunition and fireworks onboard.”
“A CDFW-OSPR environmental scientist is on scene working to monitor and limit impacts to environmental resources and sensitive sites,” said Christian Corbo, CDFW-OSPR state on-scene coordinator. “Currently, there are no impacts to environmental sensitive sites or species.”
“The fire did not appear to damage any other vessels in the harbor,” the USCG said in a statement Thursday morning. “The Coast Guard is working with Patriot Environmental Services and Clean Harbors organizations to contain and recover the discharge from the yacht.
“Our Coast Guard team was able to transition quickly from a fire response to an oil spill response, which allowed us to ensure we had the right people and resources mobilized,” added Capt. Stacey L. Crecy, the Coast Guard’s federal on-scene coordinator. “We were able to deploy containment and collection equipment as soon as it was safe to do so to mitigate the impacts from the discharge of diesel from the vessel after it became submerged.”
Residents in the area said they heard multiple explosions resonating throughout the harbor as the vessel was consumed by flames. Fire officials said two people were able to get off the boat uninjured.
Fire crews poured water onto the burning vessel, which was ultimately destroyed and sank into the harbor.
Members of the monitoring team include U.S. Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network was notified, but no observations of oiled wildlife have been reported. According to the Coast Guard, anyone who sees oiled wildlife may call 1-877-823-6926.
There are currently no reports of a threat to public health, according to the U.S Coast Guard.
