By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A Washington fishing company has filed a lawsuit against a city fire department seeking more than $100 million in damages.
• The lawsuit stems from a fire aboard the company’s vessel while it was docked, alleging negligent firefighting response.
• The plaintiff claims the fire department’s actions worsened the loss of its ship and commercial fishing assets.
• The case is now in King County Superior Court with discovery and legal filings underway.
• The fire department has not publicly responded; liability and damages will be determined through the legal process.
KING COUNTY, WA — A Washington commercial fishing company has sued a municipal fire department seeking more than $100 million in damages, alleging that the department’s response to a ship fire was negligent and exacerbated the company’s financial loss, court records show.
The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, stems from a fire aboard the plaintiff’s vessel docked at a local marina. The company claims the fire department’s decisions and actions during the incident led to greater damage to the ship and associated equipment.
According to the complaint, the fishing company asserts that inadequate firefighting tactics and delays allowed the blaze to spread and caused significant loss of the vessel and its commercial inventory.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for the vessel’s value, lost fishing income and related economic damages, totaling over $100 million. It names the fire department as the principal defendant and includes detailed allegations regarding tactical choices during the response.
The fire department has not issued a public statement about the lawsuit, and no trial date has been set. The case remains in the early stages of the legal process as both sides prepare for further litigation.