Fire severely damages Tahoe Queen

ZEPHYR COVE, NV - Investigators and vessel inspectors from Coast Guard Sector San Francisco are on the scene of Tuesday's fire on board the 119-foot passenger Lake Tahoe paddle wheel boat, the Tahoe Queen.

"Most of the damage is limited to the boat's pilot house and second deck," Lt. Jake Aulner of the U.S. Coast Guard told South Tahoe Now. "This can be attributed to the great response by the Tahoe Douglas Fire Department."

Aulner and the team from USCG Yerba Buena Island will be at the scene until the cause of the morning blaze is determined.

"We thank all our partner agencies for their outstanding response during this incident," said Capt. Tony Ceraolo, Sector San Francisco Commander. "Their support and dedication to public service at Lake Tahoe is most commendable."

Crews were working on the 300-passenger vessel when the fire started. It has yet to be determined if their work started the fire.

A 29-foot response boat crew from the Lake Tahoe's Coast Guard base responded and established a 500-yard safety zone around the Queen. A hazardous material and fire crew from Douglas County also responded to fight the fire and deployed oil containment booms. No oil was spilled into the lake but some upholstery and rugs ended up in the water.

As required, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) was notified of the boat's fire.

Lt. Aulner said the structural integrity of the Tahoe Queen is safe, and there is no more danger to the marine environment.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire at approximately 8:50 a.m.

There is still no response from Aramark, the operators of the paddle wheel boat and the Zephyr Cove Marina.

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A fire broke out Tuesday morning on the popular Lake Tahoe paddle wheel tour boat, the Tahoe Queen, fully engulfing the upper deck and moving onto lower decks.

The boat has been undergoing renovations and a painting crew was working onboard at the time of the fire, but the cause of the 8:00 a.m. fire is unknown. The U.S. Coast Guard out of Alameda, Calif., is on their way to Lake Tahoe to conduct an investigation.

One of the employees on board was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene by paramedics but did not require transportation to the hospital.

Containment booms were placed in the water surrounding the boat as a precaution since firefighters had to use foam in fighting the flames.

"The boat was severely damaged," said Tahoe Douglas Fire Marshal Eric Guevin.

Lake Tahoe Cruises, the operator of the Tahoe Queen, preferred not to comment at this time. Several customers were arriving for their booked morning cruise on the company's other boat, the MS Dixie, as firefighters were putting out the flames. The MS Dixie was docked nearby the Tahoe Queen, as was the Bleu Wave. Neither of those boats appeared to have suffered any damage.

This is a developing story.