© 2026 ABC News

He said some of the investigators working to find the cause of the tragedy also probed a fire on Sept. 2 that killed 34 people on a 75-foot dive boat anchored off Santa Cruz Island in Southern California.

\"PHOTO:
Jay Reeves/AP
PHOTO: People on boats patrol near the charred remains of a dock following a fatal fire at a Tennessee River marina in Scottsboro, Ala., Jan. 27, 2020.
>

The ferocious blaze on Monday broke out around 12:40 a.m. at a marina at Jackson County Park on the Tennessee River and rapidly spread, Nicklaus said.

In addition to the eight bodies recovered from the water, seven other people were injured and taken to area hospitals, Nicklaus said. He said the injuries were minor.

\"This kind of loss on any scale is huge, but for a small community it's incredibly tragic and rough,\" Nicklaus told ABC News.

\"PHOTO:
Jay Reeves/AP
PHOTO: A crew looks at the charred remains of a boat following a fatal fire at a Tennessee River marina in Scottsboro, Ala., on Jan. 27, 2020.
>

He said the 35 vessels that burned ranged from 20-foot pontoons to 40-foot houseboats that up to 21 people were using as their permanent residences. It remained unclear how many people were on the boats and the dock when the fire broke out.

\"That proved difficult because of the nature of people coming and going off of houseboats and not knowing how many people were staying with who,\" Nicklaus said.

\"PHOTO:
Sierra Phillips/WAAY
PHOTO: At least 35 boats were destroyed in a massive fire that swept through a boat dock in Jackson County Park, Jan. 27, 2020, in Scottsboro, Ala.
>

Video footage showed a long dock with flames shooting from what appeared to be a row of houseboats.

Nicklaus said when firefighters arrived, 30% of the dock was engulfed in flames. He said firefighters initially confronted \"substantial access problems\" in reaching people trapped by the flames.

Some people escaped the fire by jumping into the frigid water, he said, and some boats sank at the dock while others broke from their moorings and sank in the lake.

Nicklaus said that 17 different agencies, including the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and neighboring fire departments, responded to the scene.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/people-unaccounted-massive-fire-destroys-35-boats-alabama/story?id=68559649","legacySlug":"/news/story/people-unaccounted-massive-fire-destroys-35-boats-alabama-68559649","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"20:49","publishDate":"01-28-2020","updatedTime":"21:06","updatedDate":"01-28-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"People on boats patrol near the charred remains of a dock following a fatal fire at a Tennessee River marina in Scottsboro, Ala., Jan. 27, 2020.","credit":"Jay Reeves/AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/alabama-boat-dock-fire-01-ap-jc-200127_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"1/28/2020 20:49:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":68559649,"headline":"4 children killed in boat dock blaze","mediaAssetTitle":"ALABAMA BOATS FIRE","description":"The fire broke out at Jackson County Park in Scottsboro, Alabama. ","duration":"0:08","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/01/200127_wn_index1_655_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["134403231","133741861","133707237"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"July 2, 2026","headline":"Track and timing of the life-threatening heat wave","section":"News","slug":"/video/134403231","id":"134403231","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Track and timing of the life-threatening heat wave","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Track and timing of the life-threatening heat wave","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260702_gma_champion_heat1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"June 10, 2026","headline":"NASA unveils Artemis III crew","section":"News","slug":"/video/133741861","id":"133741861","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: NASA unveils Artemis III crew","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260610_gma_benitez_artemis_715_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"June 9, 2026","headline":"Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","section":"News","slug":"/video/133707237","id":"133707237","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"4 children killed in boat dock blaze","description":"The fire broke out at Jackson County Park in Scottsboro, Alabama. ","duration":"0:08","uploadDate":"01-28-2020","publication":"01-28-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/01/200127_wn_index1_655_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/01/200127_wn_index1_655_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/people-unaccounted-massive-fire-destroys-35-boats-alabama-68559649"}},"playlist":[{"id":"134416060","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134406623","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134358132","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134353508","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134335187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134334942","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134302445","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134246001","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134202757","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134211156","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134179882","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134130187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134161969","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134164484","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134145709","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134134667","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134099631","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134041491","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134033809","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"78356537","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"4 children killed in boat dock blaze","pubTime":"15:49","pubDate":"01-28-2020","modTime":"16:06","modDate":"01-28-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":68559649,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"4 children killed in boat dock blaze","mediaAssetTitle":"ALABAMA BOATS FIRE","videoId":68559649,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/people-unaccounted-massive-fire-destroys-35-boats-alabama-68559649"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/68559649","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/68559649","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};