Cape fire crews extinguish boat fire
The Cape Coral Fire Department’s Engine 2, Rescue 11, Battalions 1 and 2, and Battalion Chief of Special Operations responded to a call of a boat fire at Rosen Park Marina, 2414 S.E. 15th Terrace, Wednesday afternoon.
According to a report from the CCFD, the responding units arrived could see a column of black smoke while en route. Upon arrival at around 3:41 p.m., they found a 20-foot vessel on a trailer backed down into the water at the boat ramp fully engulfed in flames. Fortunately, no one was on the boat.
Engine 2 and Rescue 11 crews began their attack using a combination of foam and water. Once the fire was under control, Battalion Chief of Special Operations,Timothy Clark had the boat towed away from the ramp, out of the water, onto flat land to finish extinguishing the fire. This kept the boat, which was filling with water, from sinking and pulling the tow vehicle into the canal.
Clark commended the firefighters “on a rapid attack and quick knockdown of the fire which allowed the boat to be removed from the water before any containments were able to leak into the waterway,” the report states.
Firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire within 10 minutes of arrival and put down a protective barrier of absorbent to prevent any fuel or oil runoff from entering into the drainage system and possibly the canal. Due to the large amounts of fuel on the boat, Cape Coral Fire Department’s Haz Mat unit responded to assist with hazardous material mitigation, and the DEP responded to assist with clean up. There were no injuries.
Cape Coral Fire Department’s Fire Inspector investigated the fire and determined it to be accidental. The fire began in the engine compartment and was caused by fuel vapor ignited by a spark from the electrical ignition. Damage is estimated at $12,000. The damage was contained to the boat; there was no damage to the vehicle towing the boat or to the trailer.