Skip to content

Fires Across the West Coast

Last night, we received the following letter from Greg Clark, who keeps his Cal 25 Lucky Duck at Brandy Creek Marina on Whiskeytown Lake, near Redding, California. "The National Park Service allowed boat owners to access Oak Bottom and Brandy Creek marinas for two hours on Tuesday night — the first time since the Carr Fire began. Boats could be pulled out if desired. The boats at Brandy Creek all appeared unscathed, although covered in a good coat of ash."

Things looking eerily normal at Brandy Creek Marina.

© Greg Clark

"Miraculously, the fire burned nearly to the lake’s edge in many places, but stopped short of Brandy Creek Marina — where our boat was — leaving a rare buffer of green around the marina (we did not see the final damage at Oak Bottom). It is unclear if the lake will reopen to the public this year but we are thinking positively!"

In an unrelated and different kind of fire, a 42-ft Coronado went up in flames and sank at Ala Wai Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, on Monday night. According to the Honolulu Star Advisor, owner Salvatore Di Amore reportedly "had just stepped away from the boat after a little tiff with a visitor."

"Witnesses said the flames were 30 feet high." The Hawaii Fire Department said that the blaze didn’t appear to be intentionally set, but there were reports of nefarious activity. One witness told the Star Advisor that "Di Amore’s boat was sketchy and the people that hung out there were ‘not the best crowd.’"

Thoughts on Ala Wai?

This story has been updated.

Leave a Comment




Jillian Cripps and her mom, Gig Kerr, paddled an inflatable Sea Eagle kayak in Owl Harbor’s Dinghy Poker Run.