Fishing Company Sues Tacoma Fire Department Over $100M Ship Fire Loss

Trident Seafoods claims firefighters mishandled a 2023 vessel fire, allowing it to spread and destroy a $185 million ship.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 10:10am

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Trident Seafoods has sued the city of Tacoma, accusing the fire department of mishandling a 2023 fire on the company's $185 million fishing vessel Kodiak Enterprise. The lawsuit claims TFD's actions caused the fire to grow out of control, resulting in over $100 million in damages. The fire started in the ship's dry stores area during scheduled maintenance and eventually destroyed the entire vessel.

Why it matters

This case highlights the complex challenges of fighting fires on commercial ships and the potential for significant financial liability when things go wrong. It also raises questions about the coordination between professional marine firefighting companies and municipal fire departments during emergencies on the water.

The details

According to the lawsuit, the fire was initially contained to the forward part of the Kodiak Enterprise when TFD arrived on the scene. Trident had also engaged a professional marine firefighting company, Resolve Marine Group, as part of its emergency response plan. Resolve recommended a defensive strategy to seal the forward compartments and let the fire burn out, but TFD instead deployed positive pressure ventilation, a technique that the lawsuit claims is known to be dangerous for ship fires. This caused the fire to rapidly spread, and TFD soon lost control of the blaze, which eventually destroyed the entire $185 million vessel.

  • The fire broke out on the morning of April 8, 2023 while the Kodiak Enterprise was moored at the Port of Tacoma.
  • TFD arrived on the scene around 3:30 a.m. to fight the initial fire.
  • Resolve Marine Group personnel began arriving around 6 a.m. to assist with the firefighting efforts.
  • By 1:30 p.m., the fire was substantially under control when Resolve recommended a defensive strategy.
  • TFD instead deployed positive pressure ventilation around 6:45 p.m., leading to the fire rapidly spreading out of control.

The players

Trident Seafoods Corp.

The owner of the Kodiak Enterprise fishing vessel that was destroyed in the fire.

Tacoma Fire Department

The municipal fire department that responded to and fought the fire on the Kodiak Enterprise.

Resolve Marine Group

The professional marine firefighting company engaged by Trident Seafoods to assist with the emergency response.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to allow the lawsuit to proceed against the city of Tacoma and the fire department.

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical importance of coordination and communication between municipal fire departments and specialized marine firefighting companies when responding to emergencies on the water. It also underscores the potential for significant financial liability when firefighting efforts go awry on high-value commercial vessels.