The Wizard Catches on Fire | Deadliest Catch | Discovery

The scene begins with the crew of the Wizard working on the Bering Sea when an emergency erupts—a fire has broken out somewhere in the hold. Someone on deck urgently calls out, “Smoke in the B! Smoke in the B!” confirming the worst for those onboard. With a fire spreading, every second counts. The crew members, seasoned but wary, scramble to assess the situation. The captain, likely already tense from the endless grind of the season, immediately snaps into action, shouting orders through the radio. He urgently calls, “Do we have a headcount? Where’s Tyler? Get those extinguishers down there!”

Amid the chaos, it becomes clear that Tyler, a vital member of the crew, is somewhere in the thick of it—downstairs, dangerously close to the fire. “He’s downstairs!” someone yells, heightening the urgency. The crew reacts instinctively, moving as one unit to prepare a rescue. With little time, the captain orders someone to unhook him so they can descend into the hold. As the smoke thickens and visibility drops, there’s an eerie pause as the crew prepares to lift the hatch and access the blazing area below. With a mixture of dread and determination, they brace themselves to enter the smoke-filled abyss and bring Tyler to safety.

“Ready to pop the hatch?” one of the crew asks, hands trembling on the release. When the captain shouts the go-ahead, the hatch opens, and the crew springs into action. “Get out of there!” shouts a voice, urgency thickening in the air as they spot Tyler, who’s hunched and coughing, trying to get his bearings. “Get the sling on him! Get the sling on him now!” shouts the captain. Tyler, struggling but still alert, manages to attach himself to the rescue sling. Seconds feel like minutes as the crew slowly hoists him up. Once Tyler is back on deck, they rush him inside, closing the hatch as the CO2 fire suppression system begins to fill the hold, blanketing the flames in an attempt to snuff them out.

As the adrenaline begins to wear off, the realization of how close they came to disaster hits home. Tyler coughs, catching his breath, while the crew surrounds him, offering support and words of reassurance. The captain, normally unshaken, sits down heavily, visibly affected by the close call. “I almost lost my best friend’s son,” he mutters, a rare display of vulnerability showing just how deeply he cares for his crew. The near-tragedy serves as a reminder of the unforgiving nature of their work.

The sea may yield a bounty, but it’s never free—the price is risk and, often, lives on the line. In this case, the quick actions of the crew and the captain’s steady leadership prevented what could have been an unthinkable tragedy, but the moment leaves its mark. As they settle back into routine, the memory of this brush with danger will likely stay with them long after the season ends, a reminder of the precarious balance between survival and catastrophe on the Bering Sea.