Twelve boats were destroyed early Friday in a massive fire at a yacht club in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. at the Cottage Park Yacht Club on Orlando Avenue near Boston’s Logan International Airport.
Winthrop Fire Department Chief Stephen Calandra said the fire spread from one boat to another from gasoline that was on top of the water.
“Twelve boats were lost — very expensive boats,” Calandra said. “The challenge (was) the amount of hose line we had to get from the street to the furthest point of the marina. A lot of manpower dragging that line out there.”
Two of the boats that were on fire broke free from the marina.
“One is still burning on Snake Island. With low tide, we can’t get at it with the fire boats, and the other one broke free and is on Point Shirley, where it ran aground. That’s dangerous too, because it could have floated into another marina,” Calandra said.
Video below: Massive fire at yacht club
The composite decking at the marina also posed a problem, Calandra said.
“The whole decking is composite Trex, so when that starts burning, it is not like wood — wood you can put out easy,” Calandra said.
Fire crews from Winthrop and Boston continued to douse the boats with water and foam.
“The only way to put that fire out (with) gasoline on top of the water is foam. That is the most effective way,” Calandra said.
“We are heartbroken by the loss, but deeply grateful that no one was injured and that the boats were unoccupied,” Cottage Park Yacht Club Commodore Al Powell said in a statement. “This is a difficult day for our club and for the boating community we are proud to be a part of. Our focus is now on supporting those affected.”
The fire did not impact operations at Logan, officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Twelve boats were destroyed early Friday in a massive fire at a yacht club in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. at the Cottage Park Yacht Club on Orlando Avenue near Boston’s Logan International Airport.
Winthrop Fire Department Chief Stephen Calandra said the fire spread from one boat to another from gasoline that was on top of the water.
Two of the boats that were on fire broke free from the marina.
Flames burn on a boat that ended up on Snake Island.
The composite decking at the marina also posed a problem.
Fire crews from Winthrop and Boston continued to douse the boats with water and foam.
Twelve boats were destroyed early Friday in a massive fire at a yacht club in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. at the Cottage Park Yacht Club on Orlando Avenue near Boston’s Logan International Airport.
Winthrop Fire Department Chief Stephen Calandra said the fire spread from one boat to another from gasoline that was on top of the water.
Two of the boats that were on fire broke free from the marina.
Flames burn on a boat that ended up on Snake Island.
The composite decking at the marina also posed a problem.
Fire crews from Winthrop and Boston continued to douse the boats with water and foam.
Twelve boats were destroyed early Friday in a massive fire at a yacht club in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
The fire started just after 2:30 a.m. at the Cottage Park Yacht Club on Orlando Avenue near Boston’s Logan International Airport.
Winthrop Fire Department Chief Stephen Calandra said the fire spread from one boat to another from gasoline that was on top of the water.
Two of the boats that were on fire broke free from the marina.
Flames burn on a boat that ended up on Snake Island.
The composite decking at the marina also posed a problem.
Fire crews from Winthrop and Boston continued to douse the boats with water and foam.
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