Wednesday 6 July 2022 07:27 PM Home-Port-Improvement: Tim Allen pays for cleanup after his yacht leaked 30 ... trends now Home-Port-Improvement: Tim Allen's 55-foot yacht leaked 30 gallons of fuel into Lake Michigan and shut down marina over July Fourth weekend, chief says actor will pay for cleanup Tim Allen, 69, confirmed that the spill had occurred, but said he did not know it was happening until it was pointed out to him by onlookers 'I don't think he had any idea what was going on,' the fire chief said of Allen The spill closed down the Northport Marina on Lake Michigan from Sunday evening through the Fourth of July The fire department had to use at least 1,000 oil pads to sop up the diesel Local authorities said that they did not believe wildlife in the area had been affected by the spill, but one witness reported several ducklings and fish killed By Alex Oliveira For Dailymail.Com Published: 16:52 BST, 6 July 2022 | Updated: 19:20 BST, 6 July 2022 8 shares 69 Viewcomments Tim Allen, 69, is on the hook to pay for the cleanup of a Michigan marina after his 55-foot yacht spilled over two dozen gallons of fuel into harbor waters. The Home Improvement actor - and longtime voice of the popular 'Pure Michigan' travel commercials - closed down the Northport Marina on Lake Michigan over the Fourth of July holiday as staff cleared the harbor of about 30 gallons of diesel that leaked from his yacht. Allen is responsible for cleanup costs, according to Leelanau Township Fire Chief Hugh Cook, reports the Record Eagle. The chief did not specify how much it would set the 'Toy Story' actor back. A yacht like Allen's can cost up to $500,000. The fire department said that they were not made aware of the accident until an hour after it had occurred and could not begin the clean up until the following day. They reported using at least 1,000 oil pads to sop up the diesel. The actor confirmed that the spill had occurred, but said he did not know it was happening until it was pointed out to him by onlookers. 'I don't think he had any idea what was going on,' Cook said of Allen. Tim Allen, 69, confirmed that the spill had occurred, and said he did not know it was happening until it was pointed out to him by onlookers The spill was first reported to authorities at about 5pm on Sunday Though the fuel was mostly contained mostly within the marina's breakwaters, the Leelanau Township Fire Department confirmed that a beach just south of the marina was also closed The spill was first reported to authorities at about 5pm on Sunday. Though the fuel was contained mostly within the marina's breakwaters, the fire department confirmed that a beach just south of the harbor was also closed. Northport Village Marina Harbormaster Bill Rosemurgy said the code was 'nobody in and nobody out' as they scrambled to clear up the mess. The marina reopened on Monday evening around 7pm. 'I felt very uncomfortable closing the harbor down for everybody,' Allen told the Record Eagle, 'But we're going to get it open.' Cook said that the leak started when a fuel filter gasket blew in the engine compartment of Allen's yacht, causing the diesel to spew out and pool on the floor. As the fuel flooded the compartment, the boat's bilge - normally meant to clear out water - pumped the diesel out of the side of the boat and into the harbor. Allen said that the malfunction occurred at a location nearly six miles south of the marina. Several businesses along the coastline reported that their beaches were clear when reached by DailyMail.com. Cook said that he did not believe wildlife in the area had been affected by the spill, but one witness reported seeing several ducklings and fish killed by the floating fuel. Helena Marano said she saw a number of carp, pike, and ducklings floating dead amidst the oil in the marina. 'It died in our hands,' Marano said she of a duckling she tried to clean the diesel off of. Rosemurgy noted that diesel - which is much more oily than gasoline - spreads quickly across water, which can exacerbate otherwise minor spills. The marina used booms and absorbent pads to clear up the mess, deployed a boat to assist, and were helped by both a local environmental cleanup firm and the fire department. 'I felt very uncomfortable closing the harbor down for everybody,' Allen told the Record Eagle , 'But we're going to get it open' Leelanau Township Fire Chief Hugh Cook said the spill was started by a mechanical problem in the engine compartment of Allen's yacht. He said the spill was mostly contained to the Northport Marina (above) Rosemurgy noted that the beach alongside the marina - where a children's playground stands - was also closed throughout the clean up. 'I looked at it and said to myself 'I wouldn't let my kids swim here, so I'm not going to let anyone else's kids swim here,' said Rosemurgy, 'That's about as scientific as it was.' 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