Robert Wilkes didn’t go to work expecting a catastrophe. He didn’t expect national news attention. He did, however, have the skills and cool headedness needed to deal with the catastrophe.

The June 2 fire destroyed multiple houseboats at Wahweap Marina. After the smoke settled, the Chronicle spoke with Wilkes, who, when he’s not busy fighting fires, runs Skylite Houseboat Management. Following in his father’s footsteps, he founded the company in 2022. Wilkes is a family man – he, his wife and two young children live in Big Water, Utah. 

And skills? Wilkes served four years in the United States Marine Corps, is currently a volunteer firefighter with the Big Water Fire Department and has many years of experience maintaining houseboats. He’s the perfect counter to what could have been a perfect storm. 

Wilkes’ job in the Marines was combat engineer, which covers a lot of territory and requires a broad set of skills. He used those skills fighting terrorism overseas. 

“I did a lot with explosives,” Wilkes said. “I was a guy with a mine detector sweeping for IEDs (improvised explosive device). For the most part, it’s kind of why I like being with the fire department. When things are chaotic, I'm usually pretty clear headed. I don't panic, I don't go into shock. I just kind of react.”

Everyone loves a hero. The media loves a hero. This time they chose Wilkes. 

Wilkes’ actions were indeed heroic, but he didn’t act alone. 

“I think there needs to be a huge shoutout to a lot of the CUA holders,” Wilkes said. “I was the first one there and kind of started moving the boats out, but I think my name is really blown up a lot and I wasn't the only one there. There was other CUAs that were putting in a lot to protect those boats.”

A CUA is commercial use authorization issued by the National Park Service (NPS) to businesses providing goods, activities, services, agreements or other functions on lands managed by NPS.

Jesse Moore and Nate Tate, knowing the risks, were reluctant heroes. Wilkes said they didn’t want to go at first, but they followed him into action and saved boats. Moore pulled houseboats out using another boat. Tate, a sturdy looking man, also helped pull boats out. He hurt his hip in the process but didn’t need immediate medical attention. Wilkes said Tate is “still working and getting around the marina.”

Wilkes recounted the events leading up to the fire.

“I managed the first three boats before the houseboat that caught on fire, [the one] that started it all, and the boat right next to it. I actually talked to the people that was on the boat that started on fire,” he said. “Their surfboat was in the way of me getting the boat out to go turn it, and I asked them if they could move their boat, and they're very nice. They moved it for me. And I took that boat over to the septic dock to pump it out, and then I started having engine issues on the starboard engine. So I called my mechanic over to kind of assess that engine. Luckily, they were having engine issues, otherwise I think that boat would have burnt down as well.”

Wilkes continued, “I was there with the mechanic when my clients gave me a call and said, ‘Hey, this boat that's right next to our slip is smoking really bad.’ So I had the mechanic take me on our chase boat, and we cruised up pretty quick in between F dock and G dock to get to the main dock. By the time I got there, the flames have kind of just started. It looked to me that it was coming from the kitchen area, like a propane stove was on fire. It sounded like a jet engine going off. It was the propane on fire. It was like a flamethrower, and it heated that boat up quick. I mean, it went fast. It was completely engulfed in flames in about 15-30 seconds.

“It was very fast. That's kind of why I think there's something with the stove, because a normal fire is not going to build up heat that fast. But if you've got a flamethrower in the center of a house of fiberglass, it's going to heat up very quickly.”

Wilkes got the alert from Big Water Fire Department while Aramark was evacuating people from the area.

“I kind of argued with Aramark on getting on the dock because they were evacuating everybody, but I had boats that I managed that are on that dock, and I'm also a volunteer firefighter for Big Water,” Wilkes said. “We got toned out for that fire, but I'm not going to drive to Big Water, go get my turnout. I was already there, so I was trying to contain the fire. And I already know houseboats burn hot, fiberglass is very hot. They have five to six hundred gallons of fuel in the back. That whole dock would have completely burnt up in the matter of 15 minutes, and I knew that, so that's why I kind of jumped into action. I went and got the boat out that was in front of the fire, got it out, and then I went to go get Eagles Landing out. Their boat was locked up. I couldn't get in. So we took the ropes off, we took the power cables off and I started pushing it out.

“Eagle’s Landing had a boat in between the fire, so I tried getting it out. I tried getting it out and tried just pushing it back there, but I got it halfway out and then it caught on fire. So I tried grabbing one of the anchors to hook it on a cleat so it didn't float out on fire, but there was no way. It was too hot, so I had to let it go.”

One of the 38 boats Wilkes managed was next to the burning boat. It didn’t make it. 

“I tried to get it out, but there was just a wall of smoke,” Wilkes said.

“I couldn't get back to the starboard rear cleat. It had one rope left on it and I couldn't get to it. I tried a couple of times. By the time I got off the boat, it started on fire. So I went to the boat right next to it and got that one out and then came back and then just started trying to get every boat off I could.

“We ended up getting all the boats off B dock, but it was a huge help between almost all of the CUAs that are down here at the marina. Matt jumped in. Doyle jumped in. They were all getting boats off. I don't remember the gentleman's name, but he manages the Crystal Angel. He came in and got that boat out. And then after we took out quite a bit, Aramark started coming with their chase boat and started pulling boats outside, tying to them. The boats we couldn't get in, they ended up starting to pull them out, but we already had the fire contained and it was pretty much safe.”

Everything happened quickly. The boaters had things mostly under control before area fire departments arrived.

“We had the fire contained and I would say two-thirds of the dock cleared closest to the fire before Glen Canyon Fire Department showed up,” Wilkes said. “Park Service was the first to show up. The ranger was a huge help. He helped trying to get some of the boats pulled out and then the fire department. So he was, I would say, four minutes, five minutes after the fire started, it already jumped to two boats.”

Wilkes didn’t catch the ranger’s name. They were both too busy to worry about formalities. The Chronicle reached out Glen Canyon National Recreation Area headquarters to learn the ranger’s name but haven’t received a reply yet.

 A news release from NPS said that the “first responders arrived on scene from the National Park Service, Big Water Fire Department, Page Fire Department, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Kane County Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Arizona Game and Fish Department, and Arizona Department of Public Safety.”   

According to NPS, there were no fatalities or serious injuries caused by the fires. NPS completed its investigation in seven days. They used photos, videos and reports from eyewitnesses, including Wilkes’ account. June 2, a Friday afternoon, was a busy time at Wahweap Marina. There was no shortage of witnesses.  After its investigation, the NPS concluded that the source of the fire was undetermined and accidental in nature.