A fire that broke out on Majestic America Line’s Queen of the West on April 7 forced the evacuation of all 124 passengers onboard.
There were no passenger injuries, according to the line. Three crew members were treated by paramedics for smoke inhalation and then released.
At 11:40 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, a small fire started in the engine room of the Queen of the West while the paddlewheel vessel was cruising between the Dalles and John Day locks in Oregon. It was quickly extinguished, Majestic America said in a statement.
The Queen of the West had departed from Portland on Sunday for a seven-night roundtrip cruise along the Columbia and Snake rivers. The remainder of the cruise has been cancelled.
Majestic said it had informed all guests and currently is coordinating their travel arrangements. The company is offering guests full reimbursement for their cruise and a certificate for 50% off any seven-day Majestic cruise departing within the next 12 months.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that there were 124 passengers and 53 crew members onboard, and that all passengers were evacuated by around 5 a.m.
The Queen of the West was towed to Maryhill, Wash., where guests were transferred to local accommodations. The 230-foot ship is being inspected to assess the extent of the damage to the engine room.
Tara Molle, a spokesperson at the Seattle public affairs office of the Coast Guard, said 28 crew members remained onboard to man the vessel, which is without power and is being maneuvered by a tugboat while the damage is assessed.
The engine room fire has been contained and a reflash fire watch has been established, the Coast Guard said. The Washington Department of Ecology is organizing precautionary shoreline protection operations along the river to address the risk of any oil pollution from the disabled vessel, according to the Coast Guard.
Two other Majestic America ships, the Empress of the North and the Columbia Queen, also sail the Columbia and Snake rivers.
To contact reporter Michelle Baran, send e-mail to [email protected].