By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A fire broke out around 11 a.m. Monday at the new $80 million cruise ship dock in Whittier, Alaska, and was extinguished early Tuesday morning, with no reported injuries.
- Firefighters found no working hydrants in the area and improvised a water shuttle, moving an estimated 161,000 gallons of water using tenders running repeated loops to a functioning hydrant elsewhere in Whittier.
- The fire spread from the dock to the moored, unoccupied Klondike Express, a 137-foot catamaran operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours, causing significant damage; the vessel was towed away and the company plans to repair it before next season.
- The response drew mutual aid from Anchorage, Girdwood, Moose Pass, Bear Creek and Cooper Landing fire and emergency agencies, and prompted an hourslong closure of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.
- The U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause; the story remains developing.
WHITTIER, Alaska — Fire crews battling a blaze at a newly built cruise ship dock in this Prince William Sound community improvised a water shuttle operation after finding no working hydrants in the area, officials said.
The fire was reported around 11 a.m. Monday at the north cruise ship terminal, an $80 million dock that opened in September 2025 through a partnership between Huna Totem Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line. It was extinguished early Tuesday morning, with no reported injuries. The response prompted an hourslong closure of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the main access route in and out of Whittier.
The fire spread from the dock to the Klondike Express, a 137-foot catamaran operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours that was moored, unoccupied and unpowered at the time. “It started on the dock and it spread to the Klondike,” said Casey Neumann, a managing partner with the company, adding that the vessel sustained significant damage. Phillips towed the boat away from the dock and plans to repair it in time for next season. A cruise ship, the Norwegian Jade, appeared to assist in fighting the fire with onboard equipment before departing the area, according to witness accounts and social media posts; the ship was not involved in the fire’s cause.
With no functioning hydrants nearby, Anchorage and Girdwood fire crews used water tenders to establish a shuttle, running repeated 10-minute loops between the scene and a working hydrant elsewhere in Whittier, according to the Anchorage Fire Department. Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston estimated the operation moved at least 161,000 gallons of water. The city requested mutual aid from regional agencies, and firefighters, law enforcement, EMS personnel, marine responders and state and federal partners coordinated a large-scale response by land and water, according to Whittier city officials.
A U.S. Coast Guard investigation team arrived Tuesday morning to conduct a damage assessment and evaluate the need for pollution response, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Omar Faba, who said the cause remains under investigation. Whittier City Manager Jackie Wilde said the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office is overseeing the fire investigation.
The commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens, a U.S. Navy destroyer, had been scheduled to take place at the damaged dock in early October; city officials said the ceremony will proceed as planned Oct. 3 but has been relocated to the Princess Cruises terminal.