'Most' of 37 boats burned in Lake Mead Marina fire resurface, damage 'minor' for owners

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nearly three weeks after a massive fire on Lake Mead, most of the 37 burned boats have resurfaced while their owners still don't know what started the fire.

Torn and damaged, they lie atop the slumped Las Vegas Boat Harbor marina that first sank in the early morning hours of June 9. The marina said 11 vessels were destroyed and 26 others damaged.

Judy Roman and her partner own three: two small boats and a 55-foot-long houseboat that she describes as her “home base” and which houses a security camera that captures the moments when the flames reach it. The two small boats, now charred and discolored, have been salvaged.

“My nieces were coming. We were playing with it. My daughters, and… everything is gone now,” Roman said Friday morning, looking at his two-seater boat wrecked on land. “For me, it’s meticulous work. »

The tugboat US Lake Mead is the retriever. Its owner, Bryan Sloan, told 8 News Now they have so far pulled up 12 boats, along with a washer and dryer, a few small stoves and other metal debris.

As the boats continue to be pulled in, divers are unable to reach the potential environmental hazard below. A “small” debris field, which requires specialized removal, should be cleared once all boats have surfaced.

“Most of the contents (of the sunken ships) have also burned,” Sloan said in a text message. “We also have a 1,500-foot-high containment boom on the surface that extends and surrounds the entire disaster area to contain any potential oil leaks.”

Meanwhile, the strategic “Jenga” operation to remove the ships from each other could take several more days. A representative for the Lake Mead Recreation Area told 8 News Now Friday that “most” of the sunken vessels have been removed or relocated.

Bruce Nelson, vice president of marina operations, told 8 News Now he does not suspect foul play in the fire. The damage to the “I” and “R” docks could take months to repair.

“It was an accident, you know? Most likely an electrical fire,” Nelson said June 13. “We’ve seen a lot of different things over the years. This is the worst.”

People whose boats are still submerged, like Roman's houseboat, are waiting to see the real damage. Roman says she can replace passports, titles and other documents she has stored there, but sentimental items that have likely perished cannot.

“My mother gave me special meals. You know? Stupid stuff like that,” Roman said. “It’s like going on vacation and realizing you can’t go home and it’s all gone.”

She says her insurance will only cover half of the total damage, prompting her daughter to set up a GoFundMe account for the rest of the costs. Roman said she is also waiting on the cost of removal and disposal. In the meantime, she says she and her partner are living in their camper van that they would usually only spend half the year in.

“It costs $43,000 to salvage a boat from my neighbor, just for salvage, not disposal,” Roman said. “We miss home. We just want to go home.”

The National Park Service, which is leading the investigation, has not yet released its findings on how the fire started. The recreation area representative expects the announcement to be made “as soon as possible.”