© AP35 docked vessels destroyed in fire
Fire
raced through an Alabama dock Monday, killing at least eight people and torching dozens of boats as people leaped into the Tennessee River to escape the roaring flames.
Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus said
eight people believed to be missing were confirmed dead. He said the death toll could rise as rescuers access sunken hulls.Thirty-five boats, houseboats and pontoon vessels burned in the fire. Some were docked for recreation, but for some the boats were their homes. Necklaus said the blaze was on the inland side of the dock, making rescues difficult.
Seven people were pulled from the water and treated for minor injuries, mainly for hypothermia from the cold water, he said. Some boats sank at the dock, he said, and some drifted from their moorings and sank.
Jackson County Chief Sheriff's Deputy Rocky Harnen said efforts to find all the boats, account for all the missing, identify those killed and notify families could take several days.
"There were numerous people rescued," Harnen said. "We're trying to get divers down here to search for possible victims."
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