Sunday, January 18, 2015

TWO-STORY HIGH FLAMES DESTROY TWO BOATS IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA



TWO-STORY HIGH FLAMES DESTROY TWO BOATS IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA







January 18, 2015
The blaze started at approximately 6:50 a.m., and as fire crews from Fort Lauderdale Fire and Rescue and the Dania Beach Fire Department rushed to the scene, near State Road 84 and Southwest 30th Avenue, dozens of drivers on Interstate 95 pulled over to snap pictures and take video of the fire with flames that shot up at least two stories.

Richard Lacelle, a Canadian on vacation, said he was walking nearby the marina when he saw the flames and then heard a boom similar to an explosion.

“At that time I couldn’t tell what had happened, but it was very scary,” Lacelle said.

The two ships that caught fire, a 75-foot Azimut and a 50-foot Sunseeker, were connected by rope and to at least four other ships, said Timothy Heiser, Deputy Fire Chief of Fort Lauderdale Fire and Rescue. When crews arrived, they cut the rope and with the assistance of a tow boat and a fireboat, put distance between the engulfed vessels, he said.

Firefighters also worked to contain any leaks of fuel. The Sun Seeker was carrying 1,500 gallons of fuel that was later pumped out. Special floating booms were placed around the scene for containment and the U.S. Coast Guard was traveling to the scene to assist with that effort.

At least 45 firefighters responded to the scene, as did the marina management and the owners of the involved boats. The fire marshal also responded to the scene but the investigation into what caused the fire was delayed by small flare-ups almost four hours after the blaze started.
There were no injuries and no estimate of the value of the boats.