MIAMI (WSVN) - A structure containing a number of boats caught on fire, Tuesday afternoon.
7’s Skyforce HD was over the scene at the Popeye’s Marina along 830 N.W. 8th Street Road as Miami Fire Rescue worked to put out the fire with water and foam. By 10 p.m., the fire was put out, but investigators did not know the exact cause.
On Wednesday morning, officials have kept the boatyard and road near the scene shutdown as the investigation continues.
According to Miami Fire Rescue, two people were working on a boat engine at the marina when something sparked. The flames then overwhelmed them.
Both workers made it out alive, and about 50 firefighters fought the fire.
Firefighters also worked a fuel fire from a boat inside the structure that was leaking fuel.
“There’s a lot of fuel that’s inside, that fire reached the fuel, it’s spreading to areas on the water, so it made it very difficult as well,” Miami Fire Rescue Captain Ignatius Carroll said.
The roof eventually collapsed inside where the smoke was coming out of. According to Carroll, the structure was considered a loss, but officials kept the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
“Conditions started to get worse, the ceiling started to collapse, the walls became unstable,” Carroll said.
Jorge Vasquez said he’s owned the boat yard for 35 years, where two boats have already been deemed a total loss. He has no idea what he’ll do next, but he’s thankful everyone made it out safe.
“I was going crazy, but everyone’s safe. The important thing to me is the life, the rest you can fix it,” Vasquez said.
Two boats were destroyed while several others sustained serious damage.
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