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Boat erupts into flames, sinks in Lake Chelan

  • Sep 2, 2025
  • 2 min read
Boat catches fire on Lake Chelan, Aug. 31.
Boat catches fire on Lake Chelan, Aug. 31.

A boat caught fire off of Lake Chelan State Park Sunday night. I

Chelan Fire and Rescue says it appears all occupants safely got off the boat before it became fully involved in flames.


"We received a call for a water rescue with a boat involved and individuals in the water," said Chelan Fire Capt. Taylor Rains. "We responded in Boat 71. Boat 72 that we recently placed in Manson had a great response and got there very quickly."


"We arrived to a fully involved boat. It was very hot," added Rains, recollecting what it was like from the water. "When we were able to, Boat 72 hooked up to it and towed it into the nearest boat launch there at the (Lake Chelan) State Park where it burned down and eventually sank. Sounds like some bystanders help assist people out of the water."


Shortly thereafter, firefighters were reportedly called out to several lightening caused fires on the plateau.  



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Dry lightening that passed over the area Sunday night and into Monday sparked numerous new fires.


A fire northeast of Lake Wenatchee. Another east of Plain. A fire estimated at 25 acres charred land north of Leavenworth. A fire burned southwest of Cashmere. The Allen Creek Fire on Blewett Pass  is at 10 acres. Two fires burning southwest and due south of Ellensburg are each at over 80 acres in size.


A new wildland fire in Northeastern Washington near the Canadian border is estimated at 1,100 acres, according to Northeast Washington Fire Information.

The fire was started by lightning strikes from storms that passed through Ferry and Stevens counties.

 

The Crown Creek fire is located near the Blackhawk Mountain and Johnson Grade fires, which are also burning in the area.


Another fire has scorched roughly 1,200 acres, about two square miles, in the Three Rivers Ranger district north of Northport near Kettle Falls. Additionally, a small 22 acre fire blacked land on the Colville Indian Reservation.


Advisories are to stay off trails and away from recreation sites. Firefighting resources are committed to all active fires in North Central Washington.


Northeast Washington lightening-caused rangeland fire, Aug. 31.
Northeast Washington lightening-caused rangeland fire, Aug. 31.

27 Comments


jj yang
jj yang
4 days ago

The part about bystanders helping people out of the water stood out to me. It's a small reminder favorite pokemon selector that in the middle of a scary transit chart astro situation, there are usually astrotheme birth chart folks around willing to jump in and help. That kind of community response always hits different than just the official report.

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Dong Ma
Dong Ma
6 days ago

The recent boat fire on Lake Chelan is a stark reminder of how quickly accidents can happen on the water. Stories like this make me appreciate the safety training in games like kart bros io , where quick reflexes and awareness are key to avoiding crashes.

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jj yang
jj yang
May 21

It's wild how fast that boat went from a water rescue call to fully engulfed. I've been out on Lake Chelan before, and the idea of something like that happening color toon so quickly is pretty square face generator tutorial sobering. Huge props to those bystanders for helping get people out of the water before the crews even arrived.

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feifei ai
feifei ai
May 14
It's impressive how quickly the repositioning of Boat 72 in Manson paid off in a real emergency — that's smart, proactive resource planning. A good reminder to always have a float plan and fire extinguisher on board before heading out, especially during dry lightning season when fire crews may already be stretched thin. Dutton Ranch

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This is so terrifying. I hope everyone on board was able to get to safety! Boat fires are so dangerous because they happen so fast. It's a stark reminder that unpredictable events can happen at any time, and being prepared is key. I believe that understanding our natural reactions to stress is very important for crisis management. I use a self-awareness tool to help me stay calm and focused during emergencies.

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