This is the remains of the yacht after the fire, as viewed by the Class of ’64.
Photo: WENDY PRICE ANDERSON
By STEWART SLAVIN
The Palisades High School Class of 1964 Spartans went on a reunion dinner cruise on September 20. That evening they saw the spectacular aftermath of an explosion and fire that occurred two nights before aboard a 100-foot yacht docked at Marina del Rey.
“We saw it while sailing, twice in fact,” Wendy Price Anderson told this reporter. “It was kind of a highlight of the cruise.”
Investigators said they are trying to determine what caused 1,000 rounds of ammunition and fireworks aboard the luxury yacht to explode. Two people were on board the vessel when the fire ignited, but both were able to get off safely, according to CBS News.
Crews spent the night extinguishing the fire with water and foam while also trying not to sink the boat. The yacht was partially sunk in the water, lying on its side. No other boats in the area were damaged.
By Friday morning, 2,000 feet of boom were installed around the area as crews coordinated with the Oil Spill Response Organization to assess the extent of impact.
The explosion lit up the Marina when the fireworks aboard the $1 million yacht started going off just after sundown Wednesday. Residents reported hearing multiple explosions and then seeing the yacht shrouded in flames and smoke. “It looked like there were a lot of fireworks going off,” one local resident said. “It lasted about 10 minutes before the whole boat went up in flames.”
Los Angeles County firefighters said it was a challenging blaze to fight because you couldn’t drive fire engines into the narrow docking area to put it out. If the fireworks weren’t enough, fire personnel learned ammunition was also on the vessel and responders had to use extreme caution as they approached the yacht.