Looks awful, keep them in your prayers.

https://whnt.com/2020/01/27/crews-respond-to-fire-at-jackson-county-park-in-scottsboro/

Oh my. Prayers lifted for all involved.

Just heard about this and looked it up. Just awful.

Dang. I wonder what people were doing out there at midnight on a Sunday.

Terrible situation. Praying for the families that lost loved ones and the ones hospitalized.

This is absolutely horrible.

Sad news

Some of those boats were houseboats where folks spend their weekends and more. All large marinas have people that stay overnight in them. it's just like an RV park on water.

You are correct. Wife's former co-worker and husband had been living on their boat while their house was under construction . They just moved into their new house before Christmas.

They live there. We had a houseboat on that dock a couple years ago but sold it. I assume it was destroyed also.

That was B dock that burnt, I have several friends that live on A dock. Talked to my buddy who said they were ok, but had been up all night. It’s a terrible situation with at least 7 dead.

Reporting 8 missing; in "recovery" effort; tragedy.

Prayers for all.

Al.com reporting 8 confirmed dead

Just awful. Those pictures look absolutely terrible.

Horrible. Prayers to those directly dealing with this.

Has anyone seen names of the people involved?

I don’t think they have been released yet

Terrible. Prayers for all involved

The videos on the news were horrific. My son and I fished up there, just out in front of that dock this spring.

Was on NBC and ABC world news this evening.

I’m not positive if it’s true or not but it seems that one father has lost his wife and 5 children. Please keep him in your prayers that’s about the most horrible thing I could ever imagine

That would be unbearable. Praying that its not true.

It is. My sons went to school with them last year.

It is true?? God I hope not

That’s horrible. Those houseboats are a bad deal. My brothers father in law lived on one in that slip for a few years. He said today that those people would leave space heaters unattended in those boats pretty frequently. He sold his several years ago or he would’ve been a casualty. He’s in is 70s and not in good shape, no way he could’ve swam to safety.

Prayers sent for those families and for those children, it’s truly heart breaking. I couldn’t imagine.

Oh my...i can't imagine

That's horrible. I really can't imagine what he is going through. Praying for the families

Unfortunately yes. Sam, my 8yo was tore up about it last night. 5 children and a mother.

One of our guys at our shop.... His wife is a nurse and worked with the lady with the kids that died. I’m not going to tell the story he told about the husbands attempt to rescue the family because it would be at least 2nd hand information. If it’s true the story will eventually come out in the media. If it’s true it just adds tragedy on top of the already tragic event

Makes my soul just hurt.

"UPDATE (Monday afternoon - Jan. 27, 2020):

Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus says crews have confirmed eight people died in the fire, and says seven people who were taken to the hospital all had minor injuries.

Reporter Eryn Cooper spoke with a man who says he lost his daughter and five grandchildren.

We are working to confirm that independently. At this time, authorities can only confirm children are among those who died.

Chief Necklaus has not released the names of the victims, and won't do so until all families are notified.

I can't even imagine the hurt that man is going thru. I pray every night that if God has plans to take my children, to please take me first.

Damn that’s just horrible. Praying for all of the families.

mercy ...

It is hard for me to imagine a more horrific event. For a man to man to put his wife and kids on a boat that he thinks will take them to safety only for it to catch fire as well has to be beyond devastating.


https://whnt.com/2020/01/27/alabama...na-boat-dock-fire-death-toll-could-rise/

SCOTTSBORO, Ala. (AP) — A massive fire that killed at least eight people and destroyed dozens of boats in an Alabama marina early Monday was spread so rapidly by the wind that “we didn't have time to do nothing,” said one resident who survived but lost his brother in the cold water.

Tommy Jones, a Jackson County Park Marina resident, said he also watched helplessly as a small boat containing a woman and her children was engulfed in flames.

“There was nothing we could do,” he said.

Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus said all eight people who were known to be missing have been confirmed dead, and “that number could go up, because we don't know how many were on boats" that sank.

"It's probably one of the worst tragedies I've ever seen in Jackson county," Scottsboro resident Andrew Utech said.

The fire began just after midnight and quickly consumed the dock as people slept. The wooden dock and at least 35 vessels went up in flames and an aluminum roof that covered many of the boats melted and collapsed, cutting off escape routes and raining debris over the area as boaters leaped into the river.

Jones said he was aboard his 35-foot cabin cruiser when someone came banging on the boat after midnight saying, “Man, the marina is on fire.” The flames were racing out to the far end of the dock where Jones' boat was tied.

Jones said he and several other men cut some boats free and sent them drifting out into the water. When a man placed his wife and children into a small boat, they cut that boat free too. Finally, Jones said, he jumped into the water and swam for shore, 200 yards away. He believes his brother Yancey Roper, who lived aboard another boat, swam in a different direction. Officials later told him that his brother had drowned.

As Jones was swimming for shore in water with a temperature in the mid-50s, he said, “I looked back and that other boat with the wife and the children on it was all engulfed in flames.”

At least seven people were sent to hospitals suffering from exposure to the flames or the frigid water.

“It was scary. The worst thing for me is you could hear people screaming for help, and there was nothing we could do. Nobody could do anything to get to them," said Julie Jackson, who lives with her husband and son in a houseboat on another dock that did not burn.

Necklaus said some of the burning boats sank at the dock and others floated away before going under. He said divers need to locate each one and search them individually before they can be sure there were no other victims.

"We woke up hearing screams and popping noises," Mandy Durham, who was with her boyfriend in a nearby boat, told The Associated Press. “When we woke up, we could see red through the window.”

"Within 15 to 20 minutes, the whole dock was in flames," she added. "All these boats have propane tanks and gas tanks, and that’s a lot of fire.”

The blaze destroyed the B dock, about 50 yards (46 meters) from the A dock where the boat of Durham's boyfriend was moored.

"There were numerous people rescued from the water who had escaped by going into the water," Jackson County Chief Sheriff's Deputy Rocky Harnen told the AP shortly after dawn. “We're trying to get divers down here to search for possible victims.”

People were jumping onto a boat at the end of the dock because fire had consumed the middle portion and that was their only escape. But then the flames spread to that boat, leaving water as their only way out, Durham said.

"Water was the only place they had to go," Durham said. “It's just extremely sad. It's horrible.”

Georgia resident Michael Watson said his aunt lived with her husband and five children on one of the boats that burned. He said his aunt was confirmed among the dead and authorities are still looking for the other six family members. Officials have not released the names of any of those killed or missing.

Hours after sunrise, smoke was still rising from the remains of a wooden dock, and pieces of metal that once formed the roof were partially submerged. Police and fireboats with flashing lights were positioned near the charred remains, and a yellow floating boom was being deployed around the marina to contain spilled fuel.

Most of the boats that were destroyed had people living on them permanently, but some mainly spent weekends on them, Durham said. The park includes a boat ramp, a dock, and a restaurant, and offers boat rentals, according to Jackson County's government website.

"Everybody is just hoping to find the ones they knew on that dock. There were families there. It's devastating," Durham said.

That makes my heart hurt.

I hope the survivors, onlookers and first responders will seek therapy from their pastor, a therapist or someone. You couldn't just get over something like that and move on.

Very good point. Just learned our neighbors houseboat was up there and destroyed. Thankfully they weren't up there cause from what I have seen they are usually up there most weekends.

TexasHuntress, that is the exact story that the guy here told me that I didn’t want to believe.

I cannot imagine the terror those people endured.

I've searched my soul for words and just can't get there. Praying for all that were/are touched by this.

All im gonna say i hope he sleeps well. I will leave it at that.

Huh?

This👆

I doubt the man sleeps ever again. If he lives long. Why would you say something like that?

Simple 257 would u swim to safety while ur children burnt to death?

No. But in the situation no one never knows how or what they may do. He may have thought they were right there with him. If you’re not there you can’t judge. I guarantee you he wasn’t sitting on the bank smoking a Winston saying oh well. Damn man

He's got enough hell to live through without some keyboard idiot second guessing his decision.

Ya ...don't ever say if!...u don't know unless u were there..this story is heartbreaking

I aint second guessing iddiot he told the story

Im sure ill get a timeout but ill be damned if i dogged for teying to save my family and my wife. Im just making a point

We can only hope.

So u would let ur wife and kids get burntt to death and u stand on the bank watching? Yea enougjh said

I've heard a lot. I haven been led to believe that he did what he could to save them. I don't know where it went wrong, but it wasn't because of him according to info I've recieved. I don't think people realize how fast this could have happened. A boat can go fully involved in 30 seconds. I pray for everyone involved. A lot of people saw a lot of things they'll have to live with.

Man you’re F’ed up. Don’t type much more tonight. For you’re own good

Not Fed ut all

We're u there? Is that what happened?...the logical thing would be jump into of body shocking cold water and swim farther than most cant...id told my kids if see em at the bank...your a dumbass for even trying to pass judgement on something u don't know given the circumstances

Dog all u want bit obvioualy i think more of my wife and kids than you do

Step away from the keyboard. Put your phone up. Go watch tv. This ain’t working for you

Sure u do buddy...🖕

Blah blah blah

Back to the topic. Many Many prayers sent to all involved. Families of the deceased, to the workers and volunteers that are still involved, to the people lending an ear and a shoulder to lean on at such a horrible time.

Absolutely

Maybe I am missing something but Jones is not the husband I don't think. I guess the Husband swam to safety. But he could very well have put his family in the small boat and then started swimming after they had "shoved off"and he felt they were clear. A big fire will suck air in to feed off of and the fire coud very well have pulled the small boat back toward it with winds. Very, very tragic. I would say this man may have come up with a plan to save his family and his life. The boat more than likely wasn't big enoug for he and the family. He sent them in the boat to presumed safety, maybe tried to save and help some other people on dock, then swam for his life. Unfortunatly, his plan didn't work and he will live the rest of his life second guessing his decisions.

Where are you reading these reports of the circumstances and his behavior that cause you to be so firm in your judgement? I’m actually asking because I have not read anything other than general descriptions of the event. You evidently have some sort of detailed insight to denounce him in a public forum.

Never mind I see that news report on the second page. Still not sure what caused you to react like you did. Who’s know exactly what happened in that moment

You are close , a fireman who was on the scene yesterday morning told me the family was in a boat drifting away and a burning boat floated into them , igniting their boat. I believe the older child was special needs .

Awful.

Sounds like the father did everything he could do;

“The vessel the family was on became engulfed in flames after an attempt to escape, and their father, Joe Miles was rescued from the water with burns. He has lost his home, everything he owns, everything was replaceable, except for his family,”

Nuff said.

That’s what I was told too Anthony

Don’t worry. Sandmtnslayer got it covered

I saw where they set up a GoFundMe page for him and i believe a local bank has set up something you can donate to as well. If theres a hell on earth, I believe that man is living in it right now. He needs every prayer we can give him.

Are you saying the father told the story?

If that is what you got from reading the article I posted, you need to reread it.

The person that was quoted was not the father, it was someone else who lost his brother in the ordeal.

I can easily see a father putting his wife and kids in a small boat and thinking they would be safe after the line was cut from the dock and he opting to try to swim to safety in very cold water.

As for whether he realized their boat had caught fire before he got to safety, we do not know.

And, these guys are correct. NO ONE KNOWS what they would do until faced with the situation. Not me, not you, not anyone.

I seriously doubt that anyone else can blame this guy any more than he will blame himself for not being able to save his family for the rest of his life.

Everyone involved with that event is going to need some counseling of some sort I would imagine.

My heart hurts for this man. I just can’t imagine that kind of pain he is going through.

Yeah. Lock it.

We can only think about what we think we would do if we were in that situation and I'm sure he thought he was doing the right thing to save his family. But we really don't know how we would react either. This man is going through a lot and will blame himself for the rest of his life.

I’d kill myself if I lost all my family. I just can’t imagine the pain he must be feeling.

Siran Stacey, I believe was the UA running back that faced the same situation, and turned to The Lord to get through it. He needs to pay this man a visit.