Fire strikes Ilwaco fishing community at mouth of Columbia River

January 23, 2024 / 2:12 pm

caption: A fire broke out at Ilwaco Landing in the small fishing town of Ilwaco, Wash. early Jan. 22, 2024.

A fire gutted a seafood processing facility in the fishing town of Ilwaco, Wash., Monday, delivering a major blow to the local community.

Nobody was injured in the fire.

Ilwaco is a small fishing town on the mouth of the Columbia River. Fishing is its primary economy. It's known for charter fishing, crabbing, and other seasonal business.

According to KMUN's Katie Frankowicz, hundreds of crabbing pots were stacked and ready for the crab season opener next week — all were lost in the fire. The facility is owned by Bornstein’s Seafoods.

“Last year’s crab season was not the best and there was no albacore this summer, and now their pots burn up just before they get ready to go fishing," Butch Smith, chair of the Port of Ilwaco Board of Commissioners, told local radio station KMUN. "It’s just a perfect storm of a disaster if I’ve ever heard one.”

Smith also said that he has reached out to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), as well as U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) for any potential aid for the fishermen at the facility.

"Thank you to the brave firefighters and first responders on the scene at the Port of Ilwaco," Cantwell said in a statement following the blaze. "This is devastating news for the entire community and I am continuing to monitor the situation closely. The waterfront is the heart of Ilwaco and the local economy. My prayers are with the entire community, including the cannery workers and fishing families who rely on the docks for their livelihoods.”

As the flames continued Monday afternoon, the Pacific County Sheriff's Office shut off nearby roads, and warned locals that, "The smoke is also hazardous and should be avoided." By 5 p.m., the fire was mostly knocked down, and local roads were reopened by 9 p.m.

While there is stretch of charter fishing businesses, restaurants, shops, and a marina at the Port of Ilwaco, the Ilwaco Landing stands apart to the west of the port. The fire did not reach the neighboring structures.