With the fire out, fishing boat will return to Seattle

The Pacific Glacier, the Seattle-based fishing vessel that caught fire Tuesday evening north of the Aleutians, could return to Seattle by next week for repairs, its owner said.

No one was injured in the blaze, which started around 7:30 p.m. and appeared to be confined to the ship's laundry room. It forced the evacuation of about 90 crew members, said John Bundy, president of Seattle-based Glacier Fish Co.

The fire caused an unknown amount of damage, as well as smoke, hot spots inside walls and steam. "I have to say after 25 years, this is the worst thing that has happened to us," Bundy said. "... Thankfully, the seas were pretty calm."

Coast Guard officials will meet the ship, which was scheduled to return to Dutch Harbor early Thursday, to investigate.

The Northern Glacier, which the Seattle company also owns, and the Island Enterprise helped evacuate the crew, who were plucked from emergency rafts. A total of 106 people were on the Pacific Glacier when the fire started.

Its fire team and officers remained on board to battle the blaze, which was put out by 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The Coast Guard dispatched the cutter Alex Haley, a C-130 plane and two helicopters to the scene, about 140 miles northeast of Dutch Harbor.

Lt. Mike Glinski, a Juneau-based Coast Guard spokesman, said the vessel's crew alerted officials quickly after the fire started. "They did all the right things," he said.

Glacier Fish Co. hopes to have the 276-foot vessel back in operation for the June-to-October fishing season.

Company officials do not expect a federal fine because of the fire. The Coast Guard has reported that the vessel is 253 feet.

The ship, built in the 1970s at Seattle's Todd Shipyard, had completed about 75 percent of the January-to-March pollock season, Bundy said.

There was no evidence that the ship's fuel entered the water. Most of its crew was expected to return to Seattle by airplane.