Park Service provides update on Lake Mead fire that sank 15 vessels

An investigation by the National Park Service has shown “no indication of any criminality” regarding the cause of a fire at Lake Mead National Recreation Area that affected 25 vessels and sank 15, a park ranger said.

Fire blazed at the Las Vegas Boat Harbor in the early hours of June 9, according to the National Park Service.

While the final results of the investigation into the fire have not yet been released, Assistant Chief Ranger Mike Garel said in a Lake Mead quarterly meeting last week that the investigation did not suggest that any criminal activity had occurred.

Garel said the total cost of the damage would be clearer once the results of the investigation are released.

While one person was hospitalized and another suffered minor injuries in the fire, “there were no major injuries or deaths that occurred as a result of this large incident,” Garel said.

The fire originated from a “vessel slip,” or a designated area where boats can be moored or docked, on the I dock, and spread “within a relatively short time frame to the R dock,” Garel said.

All of the sunken vessels have been removed from the lake.

“Ultimately everybody from the Parks Service to the people that visit here play a part in keeping everything safe out here for us to enjoy the water,” said Garel, who recommended that boat owners familiarize themselves with relevant safety procedures.

Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estellelilym on X and @estelleatkinsonreports on Instagram.