Trident sues over Tacoma fire disaster

You might recall how fire ravaged a Trident Seafoods factory trawler, the Kodiak Enterprise, back in 2023.

Now, Trident reportedly is suing the city of Tacoma over the fire department's handling of the blaze. More in this KING 5 news report.

Trident's $56.6 million fire

A National Transportation Safety Board report says the probable cause of the fire aboard the Trident Seafoods factory trawler Kodiak Enterprise was "an unknown electrical source within the dry stores room."

The dry stores room was in the bow just forward of the galley.

The devastating fire broke out in April 2023 while the vessel was docked in Tacoma.

The Kodiak Enterprise was declared a total loss and had an estimated value of $56.6 million, the NTSB report says.

End of the line for the Kodiak Enterprise

Readers will recall the terrible fire aboard the factory trawler Kodiak Enterprise while moored at Tacoma on April 8, 2023. Pacific Fishing magazine reported on the fire in its May 2023 issue (see Page 7).

The damage seemed extensive, but we didn't hear much about the ultimate fate of the 262-foot Kodiak Enterprise, among the largest of all U.S. fishing vessels.

Now we have some additional details. Bottom line: The Kodiak Enterprise is done.

Court papers filed recently in a federal air pollution case involving Trident say the fire resulted in a total loss of the vessel, and it won't ever be used again.

On Dec. 20, 2023, Trident certified that the Kodiak Enterprise had been "permanently rendered inoperable," the court papers added.

To our knowledge, a National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the fire continues.

Disaster in Tacoma

The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire that ravaged the Trident Seafoods factory trawler Kodiak Enterprise while moored in Tacoma, the latest incident update says. This photo, from the Washington State Department of Ecology, is cropped tight to show the extensive fire damage across the listing 262-foot vessel. Click on the image to enlarge.

Trident factory trawler ablaze in Tacoma

A Trident Seafoods factory trawler, the Kodiak Enterprise, has caught fire while moored in Tacoma, the U.S. Coast Guard reports.

"The fire has progressed throughout the ship and was last reported approximately 100 feet from the vessel's freon tanks," the Coast Guard says.

More details in this press release.

Two factory trawlers collide at Dutch Harbor

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a collision involving two factory trawlers at Dutch Harbor.

The incident happened last night or early this morning, apparently at a pier.

The trawler Alaska Spirit sustained damaged to its bow, while the hull of the Kodiak Enterprise was cracked above the water line, said Coast Guard Lt. Lane Munroe in Juneau.

No word on injuries.

The 221-foot Alaska Spirit belongs to Fishing Company of Alaska, while the 261-foot Kodiak Enterprise is part of the Trident Seafoods Corp. fleet.