TOLEDO BEACH MARINA

The following was voted by The Monroe News staff as among the Top 10 local, non-COVID-19 news stories of the year. A massive fire at Toledo Beach Marina marked the end of an already grueling year for many area residents. The LaSalle Township fire department was alerted to the fire about 6:30 a.m. at the marina, 11840 Toledo Beach Rd., LaSalle, off S. Otter Creek Rd., east of I-75, according to reports. At the time, the marina was home to about 422 total ships. Diesel fuel from the boats made controlling the blaze additionally challenging, reports said.

There were no signs of foul play at what remains of Toledo Beach Marina’s "Rack and Launch" building after a massive fire Friday morning. Arson has been ruled out by investigators who are digging through rubble at an area marina that recently went up in flames, resulting in millions of dollars of damages. Upon arrival, a portion of the "Rack and Launch" building already had collapsed, so it became firefighters’ priority to prevent the flames from spreading further, Howe explained. Firefighters said the biggest issue, however, was getting water to the site, as many hydrants weren’t working or were broken. Along with MSP, fire investigators from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are assisting with the investigation.

LA SALLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Due of the ferocity of the Toledo Beach Marina fire this past week, the cause of the fire may never be determined, the La Salle Township fire chief said. Michigan State Police said it is estimated that the total loss is valued at more than $1 million. La Salle Township Fire Chief Randy Howe told Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit on Monday that the cause may never be determined because of the heat of the fire. Heavy equipment was brought in to move the debris which could affect determining a cause. Anyone with more information on the fire is asked to contact the Michigan State Police Tip Line at 1-800-442-7766.

LASALLE TWP., MI -- Officials say the cause of a massive fire at the Toledo Beach Marina in Monroe County last week may never be known because of how much damage was done. No one was injured in the fire, but significant damage was done to the property and boats that were stored at the facility. An estimated 200 boats were being stored in the marina at the time. There’s no probable cause at this time, and I’d be surprised if they even found one,” Howe told the Monroe News. The marina is located just a few miles south of Monroe right near the Ohio border.

The fire that struck Toledo Beach Marina Friday was not the first time the marina has dealt with a devastating loss. The fire that struck Toledo Beach Marina Friday was not the first time the marina has dealt with a devastating loss. You will find many post cards of that era say “Toledo Beach, Toledo Ohio” on them. The former park was dredged and replaced with the Toledo Beach Marina that opened in 1962. Tim Gladieux, Virgil’s son, continued to operate Toledo Beach Yacht Sales as a tenant on the property.

One of the many vessels destroyed in Friday morning's fire at Toledo Beach Marina apparently included a patrol and rescue boat used by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. One of the many vessels destroyed in Friday morning’s fire at Toledo Beach Marina apparently included a patrol and rescue boat used by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. (See news report)The 31-foot Safe Boat, which was obtained by the sheriff’s office in 2008, was stored in the rack-and-launch building that was engulfed in flames. The Safe Boat, its trademark name, had a weatherproof cabin and an 18-person capacity. The sheriff’s office obtained the boat through a federal government Homeland Security grant that covered the $240,000 cost of the boat.

Up until about eight years ago, local fire departments would issue a ’Signal 13’ when a fire was bad enough that it required a county-wide, coordinated effort to extinguish. Nowadays, the local departments use what’s known as a box alarm system, ranking fires from a relatively tame Box 1 up to the much more severe Box 5. LaSalle Township Fire Chief Randy Howe knew immediately that he had a Box 5 on his hands Friday, when a massive fire engulfed a storage building at the Toledo Beach Marina. “What hydrants that are on location, some of them were not working and some of them were broken,” Howe said. “The problem was that we had to have one pumper just set up drafting, which would feed just one aerial.

Here’s what’s coming up on Local 4 News at 4:What we’ve learned about a massive marina fireThick smoke and massive flames filled the air during a fire at a Monroe County marina. It happened at the Toledo Beach Marina in La Salle Township. The three-alarm fire happened at a boat storage building and was called in just before 7 a.m.

LA SALLE, Mich. – Dozens of fire crews battled a three-alarm fire Friday Morning at the Toledo Beach Marina in La Salle. ORIGINAL STORY: Video: Large fire burns at Toledo Beach Marina in Monroe CountyDec. 7 update: Fire chief: Cause of Toledo Beach Marina fire may never be determinedThe fire was called in just before 7 a.m. By noon, firefighters were able to get some of the flames under control, but there was still significant smoke from the area. At one point, the smoke was so thick, the flashing emergency lights of first responders could barely be seen. An entire building filled with hundreds of boats was nearly destroyed on the shore of Lake Erie. Despite being on the shore of Lake Erie, crews were unable to get enough water to battle the fire properly.

LA SALLE, Mich. – Firefighters are on the scene of a three-alarm fire Friday at the Toledo Beach Marina in La Salle, Mich.Watch the video above showing the massive flames and thick smoke at the marina. Dec. 7 update: Fire chief: Cause of Toledo Beach Marina fire may never be determinedMonroe County Emergency Manager Mark Hammond said there have been no injuries reported, but hundreds, if not more, boats have been damaged or destroyed by the fire. Hammond said the biggest issue they face has been getting water to put out the fire because marinas like this one are meant for getting boats in the water, not for large trucks. They have been having a difficult time getting the fire trucks to a place where they can get water they can use. Here is a statement from the marina Friday morning, explaining all marina employees are safe and that an investigation into the cause is underway:“A fire occurred this morning at Safe Harbor Toledo Beach in LaSalle, Michigan.

Multiple fire departments are at Toledo Beach Marina this morning battling a massive fire that ignited inside a maintenance building. Smoke can be seen for miles drifting across Lake Erie as firefighters attempt to quell flames that have spread throughout the building. Officials said many boats are being stored inside the structure, including one that what was described as a million-dollar yacht. The marina, which has a long history, is located off S. Otter Creek Rd. The Monroe News has a reporter on scene and updates will be provided as they become available.

Multiple fire departments were called to Toledo Beach Marina Friday morning to battle a massive fire that ignited inside the facility’s primary maintenance building. No one was believed to have been injured in the fire that dispatched first responders about 6:30 a.m. to Toledo Beach Marina and kept them fighting flames at what’s known as the "Rack and Launch" building well into the evening. The marina, which has a long local history, is located at 11840 Toledo Beach Rd., LaSalle, off S. Otter Creek Rd., east of I-75. "We are relieved that all of our employees are safe and we are aware of no injuries," said James Phyfe, Chief Resource Officer of Safe Harbor Marinas, also known as Toledo Beach. There were about five different companies with excavators working to tear down parts of the building.

Multiple fire departments were called to Toledo Beach Marina Friday morning to battle a massive fire that ignited inside the facility’s primary maintenance building. Multiple fire departments expected to be working into the night Friday to battle a massive fire that incinerated an estimated 200 boats at an area marina and likely caused millions of dollars in damages. No one was believed to have been injured in the fire that dispatched first responders about 6:30 a.m. to Toledo Beach Marina and kept them fighting flames at what’s known as the "Rack and Launch" building well into the evening. The marina, which has a long local history, is located at 11840 Toledo Beach Rd., LaSalle, off S. Otter Creek Rd., east of I-75. "We are relieved that all of our employees are safe and we are aware of no injuries," said James Phyfe, Chief Resource Officer of Safe Harbor Marinas, also known as Toledo Beach.

Before there was a Toledo Beach Marina there was a Toledo Beach Amusement Park on the same land. Before there was a Toledo Beach Marina there was a Toledo Beach Amusement Park on the same land. Like the never-ending sunrises and sunsets on Lake Erie, the Toledo Beach Amusement Park had its ups and downs throughout the years. The Toledo Rail Light and Power Company bought the Ottawa Beach Resort in 1907 and created the Toledo Beach Amusement Park. You will find many post cards of that era that say “Toledo Beach, Toledo Ohio” on them.