A boat caught fire behind a LaBelle motel on Sunday morning.
The boat, which was serving as a man’s home, caught fire around 8:30 a.m behind the Rivers Edge Motel in LaBelle.
Wallace Wright, who was visiting the motel, said he saw the plumes of smoke from his window.
“I was just worried the guy who lived on the boat was on there,” said Wright.
Wallace said before first responders could arrive, a man living on a boat just feet from the burning vessel ran over to extinguish the flames.
Joseph Smith said he ran over with his fire extinguisher, pulled the cover off the engine and tried his best to put the fire out.
“Grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran over here and I pulled the covers off the engine because that’s usually where the problem is, an electrical fire,” said Smith.
He said the boat was locked, making it impossible to put out the fire.
The LaBelle Fire Department responded shortly after, getting into the boat and extinguishing the flames.
“Guess he lost everything he had on the boat but it’s better than losing your life on the boat,” said Wright.
Fortunately, the man living on the boat was on a Thanksgiving trip to Georgia. Nobody was injured in the fire.
The State Fire Marshall will investigate the cause of the fire.
The boat, which was serving as a man’s home, caught fire around 8:30 a.m behind the Rivers Edge Motel in LaBelle.
Wallace Wright, who was visiting the motel, said he saw the plumes of smoke from his window.
“I was just worried the guy who lived on the boat was on there,” said Wright.
Wallace said before first responders could arrive, a man living on a boat just feet from the burning vessel ran over to extinguish the flames.
Joseph Smith said he ran over with his fire extinguisher, pulled the cover off the engine and tried his best to put the fire out.
“Grabbed the fire extinguisher and ran over here and I pulled the covers off the engine because that’s usually where the problem is, an electrical fire,” said Smith.
He said the boat was locked, making it impossible to put out the fire.
The LaBelle Fire Department responded shortly after, getting into the boat and extinguishing the flames.
“Guess he lost everything he had on the boat but it’s better than losing your life on the boat,” said Wright.
Fortunately, the man living on the boat was on a Thanksgiving trip to Georgia. Nobody was injured in the fire.
The State Fire Marshall will investigate the cause of the fire.
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