Fire at Whittier's new cruise terminal forces ships from the dock

A fire at Whittier's new cruise ship terminal sent a tour boat and a 2,400-passenger cruise ship pulling away from the dock Monday morning, and closed the only road into town for several hours while crews from four departments fought the blaze.

The fire was reported around 11 a.m. at the Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal. The Klondike Express, a tour boat operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours, caught fire while moored alongside the pier. No passengers were aboard. The boat was released from the dock and moved off so crews could work on it, and the Norwegian Jade, which had been tied up at the terminal, moved clear of the smoke.

Video posted by Girdwood Fire and Rescue showed black smoke pouring off the pier as the cruise ship pulled away.

Firefighters from Whittier, Girdwood and Anchorage responded, along with personnel from the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, LifeMed Alaska and the U.S. Coast Guard. No injuries were reported.

To get responders in and out quickly, the state closed the tunnel — Whittier's only road connection — shortly after the fire was called in. It reopened a little before 2 p.m.

The cause was not known Monday afternoon.