MUSKEGON, Mich. — As cleanup continues following the fire inside a storage building at Safe Harbor Great Lakes Marina, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are assisting the investigation.
Investigators are now speaking with the owner of a 38-foot boat in which they believe the fire started.
According to Jay Paulson, deputy director of the Muskegon Fire Department, that owner confirmed he was out at the marina working in his boat on Sunday, the day before the fire broke out.
"Our investigation will focus on exactly what he was doing on the boat," Paulson said.
While the fire itself is only thought to have spread to a handful of other boats in the building, nearly all of the 150 boats inside did sustain some sort of damage from the smoke or fire.
Paulson says it will be some time before there is a full estimate of damages caused by the fire but says it will certainly be up in the millions.
The owner of Great Lakes Marina contracted an environmental company as the fire was happening.
That company sent out "containment booms" in the water around the marina to try and subdue the bulk of substances running off from the fire and the fire-suppression efforts.
The U.S. Coast Guard was also notified of the fire Monday.
Crews with the Muskegon Fire Department got the first call around 11:21 a.m. Monday afternoon regarding a possible commercial fire at the marina.
An employee of the marina had noticed the fire and called 911.
On scene, crews found significant smoke and flames inside a storage building.
It took a substantial amount of time and effort to contain the fire, with crews getting it under control by about 2:10 p.m., but stayed on scene to monitor for potential hot spots for several more hours.
Hundreds of people gathered near the Grand Trunk boat launch across the water from the marina to watch as crews brought it all under control.
“My wife called me, told me there was a fire at Great Lakes," Matt George told FOX 17 Monday afternoon.
He has a Sea Ray Sundancer 370 inside a smaller storage facility attached to building three, referred to as building three and a half.
Thankfully, nobody was injured in the fire — and all of the firefighters who responded are doing well.
Fire departments from Muskegon Heights, Muskegon Township and Norton Shores assisted with the fire, while North Muskegon and Egelston Township helped with additional calls within Muskegon.
