Fire crews work to contain boat-destroying fire in Cortez marina

Firefighters are working to contain a major fire aboard a boat in dry dock at the Cortez Cove Marina in the fishing village of Cortez in Manatee County.

Workers at the marina noticed the fire around 3:45 p.m. on Monday and called 911, according to West Manatee Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Kiernan.

As of 5:30 p.m., five firefighting apparatus and 15 firefighters were at the scene working to contain the blaze. The process was expected to take hours to complete.

There were no injuries caused by the fire, but Kiernan said that the boat was destroyed. The approximately 75-foot vessel was a recent purchase, according to Kiernan.

“It’s going to end up being a total loss. The fire went from one end to the other,” Kiernan said.

No other boats in the marina were said to be damaged. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

A pillar of smoke rising from the blaze was visible from Sarasota, according to pictures and posts from social media users.

This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 7:00 PM.