Two welders were seriously injured after fuel tanks exploded during work on a dry–docked dredging boat in the 3100 block of West Commodore Way. Fire crews came to the scene after the fire had already been extinguished by workers using dry chemical fire extinguishers. Both injured men were transported to Harborview Medical Center with severe burn injuries in critical and serious condition.
Incident at Dry Dock Work Site
The explosion happened during repair work on a 46–foot metal dredging boat. Two 80–gallon fuel tanks caught fire and then exploded while workers used gas–operated cutting equipment nearby. The force of the explosion was strong enough to throw one tank over a fence and destroy another tank completely.
Eyewitness Description of Explosion
Witness Joe DeMaria reported that there were two separate explosions. He described strong flames reaching high above the work area and loud impact sounds during the incident. Emergency units later arrived at the fenced industrial yard where the diving company operated.
Main confirmed facts from the scene:
- two fuel tanks exploded during repair operations
- fire was already extinguished before firefighters arrived
- at least six workers were present at the site
- fire trucks, police units, and aid units responded
Medical Condition of Injured Workers
The injured workers were taken to Harborview Medical Center. One man, aged 59, had second and third–degree burns covering about 40 percent of his body and was in critical condition. The second worker, aged 33, also suffered second and third–degree burns and was in serious condition.
Seattle Fire Investigators were called to determine the cause of the explosion and continued examining the circumstances of the incident after emergency response operations ended.