Fire consumes boathouses on Clover Island near cable bridge in Kennewick

Two boathouses and two boats were consumed by fire Wednesday morning on Clover Island in Kennewick.

Black smoke was seen billowing from the boat houses at about 7:30 a.m. on the man-made island on the Columbia River near the cable bridge.

Kennewick firefighters arrived to find that a fire suppression piping system on the docks that is supposed to supply water was frozen or broken.

Fire crews then needed to stretch fire hoses from a hydrant halfway down the island near the Port of Kennewick headquarters across a parking lot at the Clover Island Yacht Club to fight the blaze.

The Kennewick Fire Department also used an aerial ladder truck to reach the fire from the marina’s shore.

Pasco Fire Department crews were helping from the water with their firefighting boat.

Two boat houses were a total loss and neighboring buildings had exterior damage, said officials at the scene. And two boats were destroyed.

Port of Kennewick officials were putting booms in place to capture any leaking fuel or chemicals. It’s unclear at this point how much spilled into the Columbia River.

Fire Chief Chad Michael said the fire was contained about 9:30 a.m.

The houses are part of the Clover Island Yacht Club and are used to shelter boats but are not permanent residences.

No one was in the boathouses, according to initial reports.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire is still unknown.