Boat fire sees vessel destroyed at Fleetwood docks

Local fire crews attended the boat fire early on Sunday morning after workers spotted smoke coming from the vessel

A boat fire in Fleetwood docks near Blackpool saw a vessel completely destroyed after it was consumed by flames on Sunday morning.

Fleetwood fire crews attended the blaze just before 8am after a nearby marine worker called in to say they could see smoke coming from the fibre glass cruiser Sea Mayden.

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Once on scene, fire fighters used two jets to tackle the blaze, but the boat was one of the furthest away from the edge of the dock, making access more problematic.

With the crews conscious that pyrotechnics and flares were most likely on board, they were keen to move other vessels to a safe distance before they started fire fighting.

Fleetwood Fire Station watch manager Alistair McLean said: “The fire was very, very extensive on the boat. Although it started in one particular area, it had spread quite rapidly through the boat and it had been burning for quite some time before we got the call.

“It effectively had smuggled itself because the boat was all sealed up. It was only because the smoke was percolating out a little bit that the workers noticed it.

“If there had been more oxygen to that fire in the early stages the boat would have probably burnt out within half an hour and sunk. As it was, it didn’t sink, but the boat is completely destroyed by fire on the top part of it.

“Two thirds, to three quarters of the internals of the boat have gone and the hull is compromised with the fire damage, so effectively the boat will be written off.”

The owner of the vessel also arrived on scene while the fire was burning and was said to be gutted as he watched it go up in smoke.

Fire crews reported that the blaze appeared to have started at the front end of the boat, making it very difficult for them to get at.

Once the fire was under control, they were able to access the vessel properly and continued to extinguish the remaining flames.

With the help of the port authority, it took more than an hour to completely put out the fire and the cruiser was immediately taken to dry dock where it was pumped out.

An investigation into the fire remains ongoing, but Mr McLean said initial signs suggest that the fire had started because of an electrical fault.

“We’re not 100% sure yet because the fire investigation hasn’t been completed but the initial witness testimony and evidence on the boat, leads us to believe it was an accidental fire and there’s been some form of electrical problem within the boat itself that’s caused the fire,” he said.

Read more at http://www.ybw.com/news-from-yachting-boating-world/boat-fire-sees-vessel-destroyed-fleetwood-docks-9930#rahMokbrcRd3hAeJ.99