Two boats were destroyed in a blaze that looked liked “something out of a movie” at Campbell River’s federal Fishermans Wharf on Tuesday.
Neighbour Martha Pranckuviene said she watched as boaters rushed to get the burning vessels away from other boats in the marina, comparing them to the television hero MacGyver, known for improvising dramatic rescues.
One vessel was a 16-foot aluminum pleasure craft and the other tied alongside it was a 23-foot power pleasure craft.
Both were burning and billows of smoke were filling the air, Pranckuviene said Wednesday.
Pranckuviene said one man hooked up the larger boat to a power boat and towed it away from the marina. But the fire burned the tow rope, setting the burning boat loose. It moved close to another vessel before it was towed away.
The man who had originally towed the larger vessel then created a wake by going in circles around the smaller boat, swamping it with water to douse the flames, Pranckuviene said.
“I don’t know how he did his turns in that tiny marina. It was crazy.”
There were three explosions during the fire, Pranckuviene said.
Campbell River Fire Chief Thomas Doherty said the two vessels were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived after receiving 911 calls shortly before 6:30 p.m.
The two burned boats are owned by one man, he said.
No one was injured.
Doherty, too, praised the intervention. “We had some quick action from one of the mariners in the marina that pulled the larger vessel out and away from the marina, which was instrumental in slowing the spread of fire and preventing any additional boats, or the marina itself, from catching fire.”
About 18 other vessels, both pleasure and commercial, were close by, Doherty said.
Firefighters responded and used the standpipe system at the marina. The fire department does not have a fire boat.
A boom was placed in the water to contain contaminants. The Canadian Coast Guard was also on scene.
Each vessel sank. The local harbour authority is salvaging the boats, Doherty said.
