OLYMPIA, Wash. — The fire at the Ilwaco Landing is likely to keep smoldering until Wednesday.
However, the impact of the industrial fire could be felt in this fishing community for years.
The fire destroyed several structures and more than 1,000 crab pots, according to Ilwaco Fire Chief Jeff Archer.
“It’s a really big deal," said George Pederson, skipper of the Judy S crab boat. "It’s the livelihood of the whole area.”
Pederson had 280 pots stored on the landing. He was told his pots survived, but he said about 100 will require repairs.
He said he knows crabbers who lost more than 800 pots and are scrambling to find replacement pots ahead of the opening of the Dungeness crab season next week.
“We don’t got much choice,” Pederson said.
He said crabbers from Washington, Oregon, and California are organizing donations to help crabbers get pots in the Pacific this year.
The season lasts until Sept. 15, but according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, 80% of the crabs are harvested in the early months of the season.
The Ilwaco Fire Department called for assistance from firefighters in Chinook, Long Beach, Pacific County Fire Districts 1 and 3, Naselle, South Bend, and Raymond.
Archer said it was hard for firefighters to access the landing and only one truck was able to get water on the structure and burning crab pots.
Archer estimated at least 1,000 of the crab pots were destroyed.
County Emergency Management Director Scott McDougall said an estimated 8,500 crab pots were on the dock.
Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Pierce County will be working to identify the cause of the fire.
Archer said nothing has been ruled out.
McDougall said the initial call, made at 11:21 am, came from an employee on the landing who reported smoke coming from an electrical panel.
The Ilwaco Tuna Club and its members have put together an online fundraiser for the crab fishermen "who lost all of their gear just days before the crab season opens," according to the GoFundMe site. As of Tuesday night, the fundraiser has collected over $46,000 from 270 donations. The proceeds will be used to help support families and purchase gear for those impacted by the fire.