A Honolulu man has been rescued after his power boat caught fire off the coast of Oahu on Saturday.

Federal, state and county officials responded to the scene about 2 miles offshore at Kaneohe Bay, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The boat sent up a thick plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles.

The man jumped in the water to avoid the fire and was rescued by other boaters, firefighters said. He was not hurt and was brought back to shore by Marine Corps Base Hawaii Waterfront Operations, Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Michael Jones said.

Walter Wright, who lives in Honolulu's Kahaluu neighborhood, said he was driving home Saturday when he saw "a big towering plume of black smoke."

He said he watched the boat drift as it burned and saw its fiberglass hull appear to dissolve in the flames. "That boat melted like a marshmallow over a bonfire," Wright said.

Firefighters arrived about noon and had the blaze under control in about an hour, Jones said. The flames were extinguished about 2 p.m., he said.

About 25 firefighters dumped water on the roughly 27-foot-long burning boat using a helicopter, and they extinguished the boat's hot spots from a boat and personal watercraft, Jones said.

Firefighters have not determined the cause of the blaze.

By the time the fire was out, the boat was aground about 200 yards from the shore.

The boat, named Serenity Now, was registered to a Kailua resident, said Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Oahu boating manager was trying to get in touch with the boat's owner, who is responsible for removing the vessel, she said.

At about 11:30 a.m., the Alameda Fire Department received calls about a burning boat at the Grand Marina, located at 2099 Grand St.

When crews arrived they found heavy fire coming from a docked boat and spreading to two others, fire officials said.

The fire was quickly extinguished but not before it killed a dog on the boat with the heaviest flames.
No human injuries were reported.
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The cause of the fire is under investigation.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — At least two people aboard a boat when it caught fire Friday have been taken to the hospital for burn treatment, officials reported.

The degree of injuries and the identities of the boaters had yet to be released.

The fire started at about 3 p.m. Friday at a fueling station in Grand Lagoon near Treasure Island Marina. Three people were fueling the boat when it somehow caught fire, and a witness said the occupants quickly evacuated onto the dock. Out of fear the flames would spread to the fueling station, people nearby pushed the boat into the open water of the lagoon, U.S. Coast Guard officials reported.

All three made it to land safely, the Coast Guard reported, but at least two suffered burn injuries.

The Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Panama City Fire Department responded to the scene. The State Fire Marshal's Office also is investigating the cause of the fire.

Early Monday, March 14, volunteer fire departments from throughout the county responded to a Queenstown boat fire, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office.

After waking up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, William Allan III looked out the window and saw his 30 foot, 2001 Pursuit 3000 Offshore, Inboard Engine boat on fire and called 911, Deputy John Grothe, an investigator with the fire marshal’s office, said.

The fire, reported at 2:52 a.m. at 266 Quarter Creek Dr., was determined to be accidental as the result of an electrical failure of an energized shore power line charging batteries and appliances on the vessel, according to the report.

The boat, which was hovering over the water on a lift in the private residence, had an estimated damage of $80,000 and content damage of $20,000. It took 25 first responders 30 minutes to control, according to the report.

Another boat was on the dock but did not sustain any damages, investigators said.

Queenstown Volunteer Fire Department was the primary company on scene; Grasonville, Goodwill and Kent Island also responded.

When city of Miami firefighters arrived at a major fire along the Seybold Canal around 6 p.m. Tuesday, they saw flames leaping 20 feet into the air and several boats and a building on fire.

Maruccio Vasquez was nearby when the fire broke out. The boatyard, Popeye Marine, is owned by his grandfather, Jorge.

“I heard a big, loud pop,” Vasquez said. “With boats and gas and chemicals and all that stuff, it’s gonna burn. That’s no secret.”

Jorge Vasquez has owned the business for 35 years. He was away from the business having a meal when the fire broke out. He said on his way back he saw the smoke and had no idea it was his boatyard on fire. He said two men were inside the building working on a boat engine when something went wrong.

“When (one of the men) saw it blow up, he scared so he run away,” Vasquez said. “They have no chance to do anything.”

Fire officials told CBS4 News that one of the men in the building got singed on his hair and face, but otherwise, everyone was OK.

Dozens of firefighters fought the blaze from the ground, from a crane and from the water. Capt. Ignatius Carroll says it was so intense that firefighters had to leave the building.

“The ceiling started to collapse,” Carroll said. “The walls started to become unstable with the threats of it possibly collapsing at which time it’s not worth it for our firefighters to go in there and risk their lives.”

For firefighters, the key was to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings and homes in the tightly packed area. They were successful but not before the fire destroyed two boats, a building and damaged several other boats.

For Jorge Vasquez, it was tough to watch his life’s work go up in flames. He’s not sure whether to rebuild.

“It’s hard,” he said. “You never know what can happen in your life.”

His grandson, Mauriccio, is grateful that no one was seriously hurt.

“At least nobody died,” he said. At least nobody was hurt. It’s getting taken care of. It’s a step back but it’s nothing you can’t move forward from. It’s life.”

Miami Fire Rescue officials said they’re still trying to figure out exactly what caused the fire.

Timothy Wilkinson's dream to sail around the world with his son has been put on hold. Two weeks ago, a security camera captured the moment his boat exploded in Wrightsville Beach
“As soon as I opened the doors that used to be here, in rushed a gust of air, stirred up propane, hits the lamp and explodes,” Wilkinson explained.

Wilkinson was badly burned on his face, hands and feet after a propane leak caused the explosion. He said he only planned on staying at Wrightsville for several days, but now he's stuck for months. 

“I was still kind of in emotional shock. It was difficult, and I kind of kept myself going like a stone across it so I wouldn’t sink in, because I thought if I have to experience and face all the emotional impact of this all at one time I’m going to plunge into a depression,” he said.

Wilkinson said he has only owned the boat for about a year, and spent last summer restoring it. He was working his way down the east coast to meet up with his son, who lives in Florida. He said a group of boaters in Wrightsville have let him stay on their boats, and offered to help with repairs.

“Something about it brings back a spark of hope where this can back to where it was,” Wilkinson said.

He added that he's looking forward to charting his course with his son once repairs are complete.

“And we can finally get on with it, and I’ll be a little more careful with the propane,” Wilkinson laughed.