Firefighters battle a tricky blaze as fully fueled boat catches fire on Manatee River

A Palmetto couple’s boat was secured ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa, pulled from the Manatee River and sat snugly on a boat lift at the end of their dock.

After escaping storm damage overnight Tuesday, they were surprised to awaken to the site of their 32-foot vessel located a few blocks west of the Regatta Pointe Marina engulfed in flames and pouring thick, black smoke into the early Wednesday morning sky.

The couple, who asked not be identified, said the wife first saw the smoke as she was walking the dog shortly after 7 a.m. and told her husband that smoke was coming from their boat.

“I thought no way, it had to be fog or something,” the husband said.

He looked and saw the fire as the wife dialed 911 around 7:15 a.m.

The couple tried to put the fire out themselves but could not.

Firefighters struggled to get the blaze fully under control and there were still signs of flames bursting through hull more than hour and half after the 911 call. Firefighters swung axes into the hull and shoved hose lines into it trying to extinguish the flames.

They had another issue to deal with, as well. The boat was fully loaded with 100 gallons of fuel.

Switching tactics, firefighters from Bradenton and the North River fire departments used chemical deterrents to get the fire fully under control.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the owners believe it had to be some kind of electrical malfunction.

“All that matters is that no one was hurt,” the husband said.

This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 10:06 AM.