FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews extinguished a fire that engulfed a 60-foot catamaran at a marina in Fort Lauderdale over the weekend, officials said.
According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, the fire started near the 100 block of Hendricks Isle, along the Las Olas waterway, just after 6 a.m. on Sunday.
“Caller advised the boat is on the fire on the canal,” said a dispatcher in radio transmissions.
Cellphone video captured flames and thick smoke coming from the boat as the fire raged inside of it.
Firefighters arrived at the scene of the blaze within minutes.
“In about five minutes, firefighters arrived on scene to confirm that, in fact, an approximately 60-foot catamaran sailboat was on fire,” said FLFR spokesperson Frank Guzman.
“Heavy fire to the stern, engine room,” said a first responder in radio transmissions.
Fire rescue officials said that crews battled the blaze for about an hour and a half before they extinguished it.
“Firefighters took about 30 minutes to bring the bulk of the fire under control and another 60 minutes to knock it fully down,” said Guzman. “There’s a lot on a boat that can burn hot, can burn fast, and it spreads really easily. So we are trained in ways of combatting that.”
Video and pictures show extensive damage toward the back of the sailboat.
The fire grew to consume most of the rear of the vessel,” said Guzman. “You can see behind me the damage is quite extensive.”
What investigators need to figure out is what sparked the fire. Luckily, no one was on board at the time it started, and no one was hurt.
Officials said nearby boats were left with minor damage after crews doused the flames..
“We were able to contain the damage to the one catamaran that caught fire,” said Guzman. “The boats on either side suffered some cosmetic damage; one of them had a piece melt from the mast, but by and large, it was contained to the sailboat on fire.”
Monday morning, the charred vessel still sat at the dock. Workers were seen assessing the damage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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