Fire on Fort Myers Beach shrimp boat
Fire fighters, rescue units and police officers responded to a report of a boat fire on San Carlos Island at the shrimp boat docks at roughly 1:30 p.m. Friday.
The shrimp boat “Ole Betts Sea” appeared to have a fire inside its hull before some of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District’s engines and ambulances as well as members of Lee County Sheriff’s Departments and the local U.S. Coast Guard converged on the scene. The fire appeared to be under control almost immediately.
“When fire fighters arrived, they found a small, intepid fire that was in its initial stages,” said FMB Fire District Public Information and Education Officer Ramon Looby. “It was basically out upon arrival because the folks who were attending to the boat used water and extinguishers to put it out. Fire fighters quickly made access to the boat to insure that there was no extensions of the fire and that the fire was totally out. They also ventilated the boat’s bottom level and the main deck level with air so that all the smoke would disperse.”
Looby said the fire fighters made sure there were no more hazards due to the fact that the boats are tied up together.
“A small fire can be incredibly dangerous situation for folks who are out there working on the boats and are loading and unloading them,” he said.
There was a similiar fire on a shrimp boat in roughly the same area last August.