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Fire breaks out on boat in Gorge

Smoke billowing from a boat anchored in the Gorge waterway sent the Victoria Fire Department into action Saturday. The fire department said the initial alarm came in at 9:42 a.m.

Smoke billowing from a boat anchored in the Gorge waterway sent the Victoria Fire Department into action Saturday.

The fire department said the initial alarm came in at 9:42 a.m. Firefighters boarded the small vessel and determined the smoke had originated from the engine area.

Nobody was on board and nobody was hurt, the department said. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

The City of Victoria has enacted a bylaw to limit anchoring in the Gorge to 48 hours at a time and no more than 72 hours within a 30-day period.

City staff began contacting boat owners in mid-June, asking them to move their vessels by July 18. About 25 vessels and four floating wharves remain in the waterway.

The city has offered to connect those living aboard the boats with services to assist them in finding alternative housing.