Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a 24.38 metre motor yacht moored in Bahia Mar marina in the yachting capital of Fort Lauderdale.
The blaze broke out in the Florida marina shortly after 10 on Wednesday evening, April 22. Fire crews rushed to the scene on Seabreeze Boulevard in an attempt to save the flybridge cruiser but were only able to prevent it sinking. Just a charred shell remains of the vessel, which is reported to be worth $3.5 million.
Nobody was aboard the blazing yacht but two people had to be rescued from a larger 36.57 metre superyacht in the next berth after their escape route was blocked by the fire, which saw flames of 60 feet licking into the night sky. It’s estimated that the damage to this adjacent superyacht runs to a few hundred thousand dollars.
Tim Heiser, deputy chief of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, said the operation was difficult due to the yacht’s location on the marina and the proximity of other vessels. The fire took about 20 minutes to extinguish and one firefighter had to be treated for heat injuries.
Earlier this year, a Fort Lauderdale marina had to be closed after a fire destroyed two luxury yachts.
The destroyed boat has now been towed to another marina in an attempt to establish the cause of the fire. Investigators are viewing surveillance video from Bahia Mar marina and are looking at whether accelerants were used to start the blaze, though initial indications are that this was an accident rather than arson.