Maritime Injury Law BlogIlwaco Community Salvaging Crabbing Season After Fire
On Monday, January 22nd, 2023, at about 11 AM, calls flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a blaze at the Ilwaco Landing Cannery. The Ilwaco Fire Department, headed by Fire Chief Jeff Archer, promptly responded to the distress calls. The fire originated on the Ilwaco Landing wharf, situated over Baker Bay waters near the mouth of the Columbia River.
The blaze engulfed nearly all structures on the Ilwaco Landing wharf, including the cannery building, crab pots, vehicles parked on the dock, and the dock itself. The fire resulted in a complete and total loss.
The 2024 Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishing Season begins this week on February 1st, which means the crabbing fleet was busy staging for their season. Approximately 8,500 commercial crab pots, equipped with ropes and licenses, were assembled on the dock in anticipation.