Ferry to Catalina Island to resume service Tuesday

Operators of the Catalina Passenger Service in Newport Beach were biding their time Saturday until they could resume ferrying tourists to Santa Catalina Island, where a wildfire broke out Thursday. On Friday, the boat went to the island to pick up five stranded customers, office manager Kurt Guisness said Saturday.

Guisness said officials won’t let the boat return to the island till Tuesday. Guisness said business will pick right back up.

The fire “never really hit Avalon…. The firefighters were awesome,” he said.

On Thursday night, while the fire was still raging, Bob Black, general manager of the Catalina Passenger Service, said he took his boat over in case it was needed to help evacuate people, but he wasn’t called.

— Amanda Pennington

and Alicia Robinson