Docks remain closed, fire investigations at Las Vegas Boat Harbor continue

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Two docks at the Las Vegas Boat Harbor remain closed following a fire over the weekend that damaged 36 watercraft.

“We’re pretty much in limbo,” Gail Kaiser of the Las Vegas Boat Harbor told 8 News Now on Tuesday. “We’re not even allowed to walk around the dock.”

The fire broke out early Sunday morning around 12:30 a.m. and is still under investigation. Kaiser confirmed that the fire started on a houseboat.

Henderson resident Bretaishe Stewart told 8 News Now the fire jumped to a jet ski and “it just exploded.” From there, the fire spread to other watercraft.

Kaiser said winds of 20 miles per hour were present on the lake at the time. “Fiberglass is a very hot fire,” she said.

Boating Lake Mead, the port’s Facebook page, reported Monday that 11 boats were destroyed and a total of 36 boats were damaged.

Marina customers must carry $300,000 in property and liability insurance, Kaiser said.

The I and R docks will remain closed during the investigation. Utilities at these docks have not yet been restored, but the rest of the marina will remain open to the public.

Rescue crews initially battled the fire, but firefighters from Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, the National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also arrived on the scene as the fire raged for several hours. According to John Haynes, Lake Mead’s press secretary, NPS and the Nevada Department of Public Safety are handling the fire investigation. “There is no indication at this time how long it will take to complete the work,” he said Tuesday.

Oil booms were set up to prevent the spread of oil and fuel from damaged vessels. The Environmental Protection Agency was also on site.

According to Kaiser, TowBoatUS is leading the salvage effort. Las Vegas Scuba is also involved.