Alabama boat dock fire victims identified; 6 were members of same family

A salvage crane shrouded in fog rises above a barge in a creek near the Tennessee River at the scene of a fatal marina fire at Scottsboro, Alabama. Authorities identified the victims Wednesday.

Credit: Jay Reeves/Associated Press

Credit: Jay Reeves/Associated Press

A salvage crane shrouded in fog rises above a barge in a creek near the Tennessee River at the scene of a fatal marina fire at Scottsboro, Alabama. Authorities identified the victims Wednesday.
Nation & World
By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Jan 29, 2020
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Alabama authorities on Wednesday released the names and ages of eight people who were killed in Monday's dock fire at a Jackson County marina, WHNT reported. Six of the victims were related, officials said.

The victims, who died when the blaze broke at the Jackson County Park marina, were announced by Paul Smith, director of the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency. In a news conference, Smith said the cause of deaths would be announced at a later time by the Jackson County Coroner’s Office.

Smith identified the victims as:

  • Grace Annette Watson Miles, 40
  • Christopher Zane Long, 19
  • Bryli Anniston Long, 16
  • Trayden Dominic Miles, 10
  • Kesston Damian Miles, 9
  • Dezli Nicole Miles, 7
  • Amanda Foster, 38
  • Yancey Ferrell Roper, 54

Smith said the Miles and Long victims were members of the same family, WAFF reported. Smith said authorities did not expect to find any other victims.

Smith said officials identified a 40- to 45-foot sunken boat where they believe the fire began, WHNT reported.

According to WAAY-TV, the fire started near the shore, making it difficult for fire crews to battle the flames. Thirty-five boats were destroyed, most of which were houseboats, the television station reported.

“There’s a lot of debris out there,” Smith said Wednesday. “It has to be removed in a certain way, and of course the environment has to be a factor in there too.”

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About the Author

Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk